Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Palestine Action Ban

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has asked the UK Supreme Court to overturn the group’s designation as a terrorist organisation, arguing that the ban disproportionately restricts freedom of expression and protest and that only a small fraction of the group’s actions met the legal definition of terrorism. The government’s proscription followed incidents including a raid on an RAF base; officials say it does not prevent broader support for Palestinians or opposition to Israel, while supporters of the ban argue the group’s violent activism justifies it. Membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, and campaigners say thousands have been arrested for expressing support. Police arrested demonstrators outside the court as the two-day hearing began, and Jewish community organisations intervened in support of keeping the proscription in place. The appeal follows a High Court ruling that the ban was unlawful, later overturned by the Court of Appeal; a UN counterterrorism expert has also raised concerns about the ban’s compatibility with rights protections in comparable democracies.