LONDON – In a dramatic escalation of tensions over the United Kingdom government’s terrorist designation of pro-Palestine advocacy group Palestine Action, 77 demonstrators were taken into custody Thursday outside a central London courthouse after gathering to show public support for the banned organization. The arrests coincided with a landmark procedural ruling that cleared the way for the group to appeal its proscription status before the UK Supreme Court, setting up a major constitutional showdown over the boundaries of free speech and counterterrorism policy.
The UK government first outlawed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization one year ago, in response to a high-profile direct action protest in June 2025 where activists breached security at a Royal Air Force base to demonstrate against British military backing for Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The ban carries severe legal consequences: anyone found guilty of membership or public support for the group can face up to 14 years in prison. Since the designation took effect, more than 3,000 people have been arrested for acts as minor as holding public signs reading “I support Palestine Action”, according to official figures. More than 1,200 of those detained have been formally charged under the UK’s Terrorism Act, though no convictions have been secured in any of these cases to date.
The legal battle over the ban has wound through multiple levels of the UK judicial system over the past year. The High Court struck down the government’s proscription order in February, ruling in the group’s favor. But the government appealed that decision, and the Court of Appeal reversed the lower court’s ruling in June. The appellate judges characterized the ban as a “justified and proportionate” limitation on freedom of expression, concluding that Palestine Action had crossed the line from legitimate civil disobedience by using violence to damage property and threaten public safety.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted Palestine Action founder Huda Ammori permission to bring the challenge before the court’s top justices. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled to take place between October and December. Court officials confirmed that all ongoing prosecutions of people charged under the ban have been paused pending the Supreme Court’s final ruling, which will set a binding precedent for future counterterrorism proscription cases in the UK.
The demonstration outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday drew hundreds of supporters, with detained protesters shouting chants including “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” as onlookers responded with cries of “Shame!” The Metropolitan Police confirmed that nearly all of the 77 arrests were made on charges of violating the proscription ban by publicly expressing support for Palestine Action.