UK government wants to ban Palestine Action for activism
(MENAFN) The British government is preparing to propose banning Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian activist organization, by labeling it a terrorist group. This follows an incident where members of the group gained access to a military air base and sprayed paint into the engine of a warplane.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed on Monday that she plans to submit the ban proposal to Parliament next week. She condemned the “disgraceful attack” on Brize Norton base, calling it the “latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage” by the organization. If approved, the ban would criminalize membership in or support for Palestine Action.
Established in 2020, Palestine Action has focused on disrupting British military aid to Israel, targeting arms factories linked to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. The group’s direct action tactics have attracted some support amid Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Cooper accused Palestine Action of threatening national security by interfering with weapons supplies to Ukraine, NATO allies, and other partners. She also claimed their activities negatively affect “innocent members of the public fleeing for safety and subjected to violence.”
In response, Kellys Solicitors, the legal representatives for Palestine Action, described the proposed ban as “wholly unprecedented,” comparing it to equating the protesters with terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. They criticized the move as “unhinged” and a dangerous infringement on freedom of expression and assembly.
The legal team argued that the group’s actions target property rather than individuals, with only occasional property damage. They stated, “The real crime here is not red paint being sprayed on these warplanes, but the war crimes that have been enabled with those planes because of the UK government’s complicity in Israel’s genocide.”
An editorial from The Guardian also criticized the proposal, warning that if passed, “the threshold of terrorism will have been lowered from plotting to plant bombs or take hostages to daubing aircraft or chaining oneself to doors.”
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