Who is Palestine Action, the organization tied to numerous arrests within the UK?
In a move that has sparked controversy and widespread condemnation, the UK government designated the UK-based organisation Palestine Action as a terrorist group in late June 2021. This decision places Palestine Action on equal footing with organisations such as Hamas, al Qaeda, and ISIS.
Founded by Huda Ammori and climate activist Richard Barnard in 2020, Palestine Action aims to disrupt the operations of weapons manufacturers connected to the Israeli government. The group has taken actions such as occupying, blockading, spray painting, and disrupting the operations of various companies, including Elbit Systems, UAV Tactical Systems, Leonardo, and others.
The UK government's decision to ban Palestine Action came after the group vandalized two Airbus Voyager refueling planes at Britain's largest airbase, RAF Brize Norton, in June 2021. The government cited an assessment from the country's Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre as the reason for the ban, stating that Palestine Action had crossed the line from protest to sabotage.
John Woodcock, the author of an independent government review on political violence and disruption, compared Palestine Action and climate activists Just Stop Oil to "terror groups" and recommended their actions be banned. However, the UN human rights chief Volker Turk called to lift the ban, saying that it raises concerns that UK counter-terrorism laws "are being applied to conduct that is not terrorist in nature and risks hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms."
Civil liberties campaigners across Britain and beyond have swiftly condemned the designation of Palestine Action as a terror group. The ban means that showing support for Palestine Action carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
Ahead of Saturday's demonstration, counter-terrorism officers in England and Scotland raided the homes of seven spokespeople from the activist group Defend Our Juries, arresting and charging them all with terrorism offenses. This is believed to be the first direct-action group to be designated a terrorist organisation in the UK.
Since the terror designation, more than 700 individuals have been arrested at solidarity protests across the UK. On August 9, more than 500 people were arrested in London, the largest mass arrest in the British capital since the 1960s. Nearly half of the 532 people arrested that day were 60 or older, police said. Almost 100 people arrested were in their 70s, and 15 more in their 80s.
In London alone, 114 people had been charged for their support of the group as of September 1, according to the city's Metropolitan Police force. The upcoming judicial review, scheduled for November, could answer whether the ban on Palestine Action is overturned.
Amnesty UK has slammed the move as "a disturbing legal overreach," arguing that the ban suppresses expression across the wider pro-Palestinian movement. The group argues that the designation is an attempt to silence peaceful protest and undermine the rights of individuals to express their political views.
The raids on the homes of Defend Our Juries spokespeople and the mass arrests at solidarity protests have further fueled concerns that the UK government's counter-terrorism measures are being used to suppress political dissent and undermine civil liberties. The debate over the designation of Palestine Action as a terror group is likely to continue in the coming months, with many calling for a re-evaluation of the UK's counter-terrorism laws and a more nuanced approach to political protest.
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