The Court of Appeal in London has ruled that the British government acted lawfully in proscribing the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
The judgment overturned a February ruling by three High Court judges, who had held that although the group engaged in criminal activity, its conduct did not justify a terrorist ban.
Chief Justice Sue Carr, delivering the ruling on Monday, said Palestine Action could not be regarded as a civil disobedience group, noting that it operated through covert cells targeting property at defence companies and military bases.
“In our judgment, that premise was seriously flawed. It was not a sustainable proposition to portray Palestine Action as a non-violent organisation,” she said.
The group co-founder, Huda Ammori, said it would continue to challenge the ban up to the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights, describing it as “one of the most extreme attacks on free speech and the right to protest in modern British history.”
The government proscribed the group after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 to protest UK military support for Israel’s war in Gaza, following earlier acts of vandalism targeting defence-linked sites. The organisation was subsequently banned alongside groups such as al-Qaida and Hamas, making membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Since the ban, more than 3,300 people have been arrested at protests for holding signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,” while over 700 have been charged under the UK Terrorism Act, with no convictions yet recorded.
Civil liberties groups have criticised the arrests, arguing they criminalise peaceful protest. Defend Our Juries said the ruling would likely increase the use of police resources against demonstrators, adding that courts were being used to suppress dissent.
Palestine Action, formed in 2020, has carried out direct action protests at military and industrial sites, including break-ins at facilities linked to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK. Authorities say these actions have caused millions of pounds in damage and pose national security risks.
While the High Court previously said some of the group’s actions could amount to terrorism offences, it maintained they could still be prosecuted under existing criminal laws without proscription.
On Friday, four members were jailed after being convicted over a 2024 break-in at an Elbit facility in Bristol, where equipment was destroyed. More than 100 protesters were arrested outside the sentencing court.