The co-founder of pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, has won permission to legally challenge the UK government’s decision to ban the organisation under anti-terrorism laws.
The group, which has targeted companies linked to Israel through acts of civil disobedience—such as blocking access, defacing buildings with red paint, and damaging equipment—was officially proscribed on July 5. The government claimed Palestine Action had committed or supported acts of terrorism, making membership a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Ammori applied to London’s High Court for a judicial review of the proscription, arguing that the ban unjustly infringes on freedom of expression. On Wednesday, Justice Martin Chamberlain ruled her case was “reasonably arguable,” allowing the challenge to proceed.
Since the proscription, dozens have reportedly been arrested for displaying placards supporting the group, and activists say police have increased surveillance of pro-Palestinian expressions.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the ban, citing incidents including the break-in at a military base and damage to aircraft, insisting that criminal acts have no place in lawful protest.
Palestine Action maintains its actions are a legitimate response to what it describes as UK complicity in Israeli war crimes. Israel has rejected such allegations, defending its actions in Gaza as part of its right to self-defence following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
