Following recent vandalism incidents attributed to Palestine Action, the UK government plans to formally submit a ban on the group as a terrorist organization, marking a significant legal precedent regarding the classification of activism that results in property damage.
UK Government Moves to Ban Pro-Palestinian Group Palestine Action as Terrorist Organization
UK Government Moves to Ban Pro-Palestinian Group Palestine Action as Terrorist Organization
The British home secretary announced plans to classify Palestine Action as a terrorist group following vandalism at a military base and President Trump’s golf resort.
The British government has taken decisive action to impose a ban on the pro-Palestinian organization Palestine Action, which has recently garnered attention for its controversial tactics. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the group would be classified as a terrorist organization due to its involvement in vandalism at President Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland and a military air base in Oxfordshire.
On June 23, 2025, Cooper detailed that the formal submission to Parliament for the ban would occur on June 30. She emphasized that Palestine Action has conducted a nationwide campaign of “direct criminal action” against various defense contractors, thereby jeopardizing the national security of the UK. The activities of the group have been classified as terrorism due to their resulting "serious damage to property.”
Palestine Action would join a list of over 80 organizations already designated as terrorist entities by the UK, including groups like ISIS, Hamas, and white supremacist organizations such as Atomwaffen Division. This situational ban introduces a unique legal approach, as noted by terrorism law advisor Jonathan Hall, who stated that this would be the first case in Britain where serious property damage has led to a group being classified as terrorist, rather than the previously applied criterion of violent actions.
Hall highlighted that the breach of national security thresholds marked a significant “tipping point” for government action against Palestine Action. The implications of this prohibition reflect a growing tension in the UK regarding protest movements and their implications for national security, as the line between activism and terrorism continues to evolve in modern political discourse.
