The Donald Trump administration has officially designated the protest group Palestine Action as a global terrorist organization, aligning it with groups such as Hamas, al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State. This action, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, imposes significant sanctions, including a lifetime ban on entry to the United States for supporters and leading members.
Officials in Washington stated that the group was accused of promoting acts of terrorism on social media and encouraging similar tactics overseas, including within the U.S. This marks the first known instance of a British far-left activist group being subjected to U.S. counter-terrorism sanctions. The designation means any assets held by Palestine Action in the U.S., such as bank accounts and property, will be frozen, and U.S. firms will be prohibited from conducting business with the organization.
Palestine Action was founded in the United Kingdom in July 2020 by British citizens Richard Barnard and Huda Ammori. The sanctions effectively cut the group off from the global financial system by preventing any individual or entity from providing it with funds, goods, or services. Britons found to be funding the organization or participating in its protests could also face sanctions and visa bans.
The United Kingdom had previously designated Palestine Action as a proscribed terrorist group following incidents where activists stormed RAF Brize Norton and damaged military aircraft in June 2025. The U.S. designation comes after a period where Palestine Action has engaged in campaigns involving trespass, vandalism, and property damage, particularly targeting companies and buildings in Britain that the group claims are linked to Israel and Zionism.
In 2024, four activists associated with Palestine Action were jailed after a raid on the UK factory of Israel-based defense firm Elbit Systems, which resulted in approximately $1.2 million in damages. The Court of Appeal in the UK upheld the government's ban on the organization as a terror group, ruling it was justified and proportionate despite potential challenges related to freedom of expression rights, with founders still able to pursue the case to the Supreme Court.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "Far-left terrorism poses a profound threat to the United States and the broader West." He added that there would be no refuge for violent extremists targeting civilization, law and order, critical infrastructure, or political opponents. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed that Washington would utilize its economic tools against far-left groups, stating that political terrorism has no place in society and that financial lifelines would be cut until these groups are eliminated.
Responding to the designation, co-founder Huda Ammori stated on X, "Trump has just designated Palestine Action a terrorist group." She further commented on the irony of the U.S., a country she believes has impacted her Palestinian and Iraqi homelands negatively, labeling her a terrorist, and characterizing Trump's actions as antithetical to Palestine Action's goals.