Palestine Action ban to go to UK Supreme Court

Britain's Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal against the government ban on activist group Palestine Action, a prohibition that has led to thousands of arrests.

Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, is challenging the interior ministry's decision to ban the group under the UK's Terrorism Act in July 2025. The Supreme Court said Thursday that permission to appeal had been granted, with an expedited hearing expected between October and December.

The ban made membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Police and activists say it has led to more than 3,500 arrests.

Hundreds of people rallied Thursday outside Westminster Magistrates' Court, where hearings linked to more than 2,000 cases had been expected. The hearings were postponed until October, according to a letter distributed outside by the Courts and Tribunals Service.

London's Metropolitan Police said officers arrested 117 people during a protest organised by legal rights group Defend Our Juries. The force said most arrests were for expressing support for a proscribed organisation.

Palestine Action challenged the ban as disproportionate and said it had a very significant impact on human rights. London's High Court ruled in its favour in February, but the government appealed. Last month, the Appeals Court found for the government and described Palestine Action as “a covert organisation operating with secret cells.”

Palestine Action, set up in 2020, has mainly targeted weapons factories in the UK, especially sites belonging to Israel-based defence group Elbit.