UK High Court rules ban on Palestine Action as terrorist group is unlawful

London's High Court ruled on Friday that the British government's decision to ban the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful. The group was proscribed in July following a series of direct actions against Israel-linked defense firms, including blocking entrances and using red paint. One significant incident cited by the government involved a 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems factory, causing approximately £1 million in damage and injuring a police officer. Another incident in June involved activists damaging two aircraft at the RAF Brize Norton airbase. Judge Victoria Sharp stated that while the group promotes its cause through criminality, the total ban constituted a disproportionate interference with the rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Despite the ruling, the ban will remain in effect temporarily to allow lawyers to determine the next legal steps. The UK government has indicated its intention to appeal the decision. Co-founder Huda Ammori, who launched the legal challenge, argued that the measure was an authoritarian restriction on the right to protest.