The United Kingdom's Supreme Court will review the ban on the protest group Palestine Action, which was enacted under terrorism legislation. The court confirmed it has granted the group's co-founder permission to appeal the ban, which took effect in July 2025.
The appeal is expected to focus on arguments that the ban infringes on human rights, though full details are pending. The case will be expedited and heard after the summer break, with a potential to significantly impact terrorism legislation in the UK.
This decision comes weeks after the conclusion of a trial involving group members accused of causing over £1 million in damage to an Elbit Systems facility near Bristol. Elbit is an Israeli-owned defense firm. Four individuals were convicted in connection with the incident, with one also sentenced for assaulting a police officer.
Palestine Action has been the subject of a ban for over a year. The group was initially prohibited by former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, based on advice from police and security officials, following a series of break-ins targeting Elbit. The High Court had previously declared the ban unlawful, but this decision was unanimously overturned by the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the Home Secretary's authority to proscribe the group.
During the proceedings on Thursday, approximately 117 protesters were arrested outside Westminster Magistrates' Court. The Metropolitan Police stated that most arrests were for expressing support for the group. Many of these individuals had expected to appear in court on charges related to showing support for Palestine Action at earlier public events, though these cases were later found to have been listed in error.
Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to hear her appeal. She stated that the recent arrests are part of a broader effort to suppress solidarity with Palestinian causes and vowed to continue the legal challenge, potentially extending to the European Court of Human Rights, to overturn what she described as an extreme attack on free speech and the right to protest.
The Home Office has maintained that the ban is not related to support for Palestinian causes but is a necessary measure due to the group's involvement in significant criminal damage to businesses. Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have acknowledged that Palestine Action's activities have involved criminal acts, though they differed on whether these justified the use of terrorism laws.