Palestine Action, a UK-based organization founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori and climate activist Richard Barnard, aims to disrupt the operations of weapons manufacturers linked to the Israeli government. The collective is perhaps best known for their direct actions, including taking the fight against Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Palestine Action’s recent actions, especially those which have directly interfered with corporate activities, have caused moral outrage. In response, the UK government has formally listed the group as a terrorist organization.
This was the group’s first splash of limelight, and for good reason—the sustained action was powerful enough to bring Elbit System’s UK operation to its knees. Since then, Palestine Action has intensified its efforts, stating its commitment to “ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.” Yet this mission was the catalyst for a summer of intense, high-profile protests and disruptive actions. The largest collective event occurred in a late June 2025 congressional hearing.
Recent Actions and Government Response
On June 25, 2025, activists from Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton, Britain’s largest airbase, where they vandalized two Airbus Voyager refueling planes using paint and crowbars. This courageous act of rebellion met a shocking—and shocking in its ferocity—governmental backlash. In July 2025, the UK government officially designated Palestine Action as a terror organization, citing an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the decision by stating that Palestine Action had “crossed the line from protest to sabotage.” She shared her concern that the organization is “not just a peaceful protest group” with a record of “extreme criminal vandalism.” The Palestine Action ban carries draconian implications. Now, those who fund or assist the organization may be subject to prison sentences of 14 years.
“Banning terror groups has made it harder for their activists to plan crimes – that approach should be extended to extreme protest groups too.” – John Woodcock
The national government’s brutal response to these protests has resulted in over 20,000 arrests. In the wake of this terror designation, 700-plus people have been arrested at solidarity protests in the UK. The majority of those arrested are our senior, more mature citizens. On August 9, the median age of the 532 people in custody that day was almost 60 years old, with nearly 100 being in their 70s and 15 in their 80s. In London specifically, as of September 1, 114 people had been charged for sheltering Palestine Action.
Legal Challenges Ahead
Thanks to the contentious ban, a judicial review will be heard in November. This judicial review will determine whether Israel’s classification of Palestine Action as a terror organization was legal. Last month, London High Court Judge Martin Chamberlain found that the advisory ban violated Palestine Action’s rights disproportionate to its interference. He found such interference to be “reasonably arguable” based on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) standards, which enshrine freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
This ongoing judicial review could establish a pivotal legal precedent. It will set the Reauthorization’s national security-versus-civil-liberties dial. Read more from the many advocacy groups that have criticized this extraordinary move. Critics argue that if such a ban is permitted to stand, it could pave the way for broader restrictions on other groups that express dissent against government policies.
“If this unprecedented, authoritarian proscription is allowed to stand, there is a clear danger that it will be used against other groups the government of the day does not like – whether that be racial or climate justice groups, disability rights groups or trade unions.” – Defend Our Juries spokesperson
Public Reaction and Ongoing Protests
Public reactions have been divided on the UK government’s moves to shut down Palestine Action. Many supporters assert their right to protest against perceived injustices. Some protesters have boldly stated their stance on social media platforms, declaring, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” This sentiment is representative of the deeper shift we’re seeing among young people and other demographics to stand up for Palestinian rights.
Government officials and some prominent public figures have contended that Palestine Action’s tactics go against the spirit of proper protest. As former political appointee John Woodcock recently put it, we should be careful not to rebrand such actions as peaceful protests. He noted that terrorism by definition includes economic harm inflicted for political objectives. This is precisely what Palestine Action has strategically done.
“I take real exception to that idea of this being a peaceful protest.” – John Woodcock
As tensions continue to escalate between advocates for Palestinian rights and local, state, and national governmental entities, the situation is still developing. That forthcoming judicial review will almost certainly be decisive in determining whether the future of protest in the UK is peaceful or repressive.
