UK Supreme Court hears Palestine Action challenge to terrorism ban

On November 4, 2026, the UK Supreme Court opened a two-day appeal by Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori against the government's July 2025 terrorism proscription. Over 4,000 arrests have occurred under the ban, which carries up to 14 years in prison. Defense counsel argued that property damage by the group does not constitute terrorism, comparing tactics to historical Suffragettes, while government lawyers asserted that severe property damage and escalating attacks justify the ban.

Supreme Court Appeal arguments

• ▪Lawyer Raza Husain KC compared Palestine Action's direct action tactics to the early 20th-century Suffragettes, noting Suffragettes conducted bombing and arson campaigns for voting rights yet are celebrated in history
• ▪Lawyer Raza Husain KC, representing Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, argued at the UK Supreme Court that government officials assessed only three of Palestine Action's 385 actions over five years met the legal definition of terrorism
• ▪Government lawyer James Eadie argued before the UK Supreme Court that serious property damage can constitute terrorism without violence against individuals
• ▪Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori began a two-day appeal challenging the British government's designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization

Protests outside the hearing

• ▪British police arrested more than two dozen demonstrators during the Palestine Action appeal hearing
• ▪Demonstrators outside the UK Supreme Court on November 4, 2026, held placards echoing an unprosecuted social media post supporting Palestine Action by author Sarah Helm, wife of UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell

Legal history of proscription decision

• ▪The UK government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization in July 2025 under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, placing it in the same legal classification as al-Qaeda and Hamas
• ▪Court of Appeal judges rejected comparisons between Palestine Action and historical Suffragette campaigners when reversing the High Court's ruling that the Palestine Action ban was unlawful in June 2026
• ▪London's High Court initially ruled the proscription of Palestine Action unlawful, but five Court of Appeal judges overturned that decision in June 2026

Arrests and legal consequences of support

• ▪Home Office statistics record over 3,600 arrests in Britain linked to support for Palestine Action between its proscription in July 2025 and June 2026
• ▪Under UK terrorism proscription laws, individuals convicted of belonging to or expressing support for Palestine Action face penalties of up to 14 years in prison
• ▪Total arrests linked to supporting Palestine Action exceeded 4,000 by November 4, 2026, accounting for over one-third of all UK terrorism arrests since 9/11

Direct action history and tactics

• ▪The Home Office says that in 2024, Palestine Action activists conducted a raid targeting Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems, causing an estimated £1 million ($1.35 million) in property damage
• ▪The Home Office stated that a 2024 Palestine Action raid on Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems involved weapons and violence against police, resulting in a spinal injury to one police officer hit with a sledgehammer
• ▪Founded in 2020, Palestine Action has carried out hundreds of direct actions involving premises occupations, graffiti, and window breaking against businesses linked to supplying arms to Israel
• ▪Palestine Action activists broke into the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton air base in June 2025, damaging two military aircraft

United States response

• ▪In August 2026, the United States designated Palestine Action as a terrorist group
• ▪US President Donald Trump described Palestine Action activists who targeted his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland as terrorists