On June 15, the UK Court of Appeal upheld the government's decision to designate the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The ruling was delivered by a panel of five judges, including the two most senior judges in England and Wales.
Palestine Action, a British protest group founded six years ago, describes itself as a movement committed to ending global participation in what it calls Israel's regime of genocide and apartheid. The group has targeted companies involved in producing weapons for Israel, such as Elbit Systems, Leonardo, Thales, and Teledyne, causing millions of pounds in damage according to UK police.
The ruling stated: "Designating an organization such as Palestine Action as a proscribed organization is a controversial matter. But it would be a fundamental mistake to overlook the fact that Palestine Action openly advocates unlawful violence, which is of a terrorist nature."
Earlier, in February 2026, the High Court had ruled the ban unlawful and disproportionate following a legal challenge by co-founder Huda Ammori. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood immediately appealed, arguing the ban was not disproportionate.
The ban was enacted after members of Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton in June 2025, spray-painting two military aircraft red. MPs subsequently voted in favor of the ban.
Critics argue the group caused only property damage, not terrorist violence. Over 130 prominent public figures have spoken out against the ban.
Since the listing, approximately 3,000 people have been arrested. The Metropolitan Police welcomed the ruling and vowed to continue arresting protesters supporting the group.
Palestine Action said it will appeal to the UK Supreme Court and, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights. "We will not stop fighting to reverse one of the most extreme attacks on freedom of speech and the right to protest in modern British history," Ammori said.
Human Rights Watch called the ruling a "disaster," arguing it reinforces the UK's position among countries backsliding on human rights by classifying protest actions as terrorism. CAGE International described it as a "dictatorial tool to suppress dissent."
