UK Court of Appeal Upholds Ban on Palestine Action as Lawful
8 verified1 unconfirmed1 contested
The United Kingdom's Court of Appeal has ruled that the government acted lawfully when it banned the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The decision on Monday overturned a February 2026 High Court ruling that had found the proscription invalid. Chief Justice Sue Carr stated that the group operates using covert cells and seeks to destroy property, not as a non-violent civil disobedience organization as it claims. Since the ban took effect in July 2025, over 3,000 people have been arrested for showing support for the group, largely by holding signs. More than 700 individuals have been charged under the Terrorism Act, with cases paused pending the appeal decision. The group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, said she will appeal to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Four Palestine Action activists were jailed on June 12, 2026, for breaking into a factory of an Israeli defense firm near Bristol. Civil liberties organizations, including Liberty and Amnesty International UK, criticized the ruling as a misuse of counter-terrorism powers.
What’s verified
The Court of Appeal ruled that the UK government’s ban on Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was lawful.
The ruling overturned a February 2026 High Court decision that had invalidated the ban.
Chief Justice Sue Carr said Palestine Action is a covert group using secret cells, not a non-violent protest organization.
More than 3,000 people have been arrested for supporting Palestine Action, many for holding signs.
More than 700 people have been charged under the Terrorism Act for support of the group.
Co-founder Huda Ammori said she will appeal to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
Four Palestine Action members were sentenced to prison on June 12, 2026, for breaking into an Elbit Systems factory near Bristol.
Civil liberties groups criticized the ruling, saying it undermines the right to protest.
Where accounts differ
One source states that more than 3,300 people have been arrested for holding signs supporting Palestine Action, while another source reports more than 3,000 arrests overall. The sources also differ slightly on the timing: one says the ban was imposed after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025, while the other states the ban took effect on July 5, 2025. No other significant contradictions were identified across sources.
Not yet confirmed
One source reported that Palestine Action was banned alongside al-Qaida and Hamas, while another source did not mention this comparison. It remains unclear whether any of the more than 700 charged individuals have been convicted; one source stated that no one has yet been convicted, but this was not confirmed by the second source. The exact number of protesters arrested outside the court after the ruling is not consistently reported.
Key figures
Chief Justice Sue Carr, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales
Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action
Shabana Mahmood, UK Home Secretary
Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls
Sources: abcnews.com, The Guardian
