UK court upholds terror designation for Palestine Action

A London appeals court has upheld the British government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, ruling that the group’s violent campaign went far beyond legitimate protest.

In a unanimous decision, a five-judge panel described Palestine Action as a covert network operating through secret cells to carry out attacks on defense companies, banks, and military sites. The government outlawed the group after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in 2025, following a series of attacks that included repeated raids on Elbit Systems facilities. In one incident, activists caused millions of pounds in damage and left a police officer with a fractured spine after striking her with a sledgehammer.

The ruling overturns an earlier High Court decision and keeps Palestine Action on the UK’s list of banned terrorist organizations alongside Hamas and al-Qaeda. Since the ban took effect, more than 3,300 people have been arrested and over 700 charged under Britain’s Terrorism Act for allegedly supporting the group, with organizers vowing to appeal to the Supreme Court.