UK Supreme Court hears appeal against Palestine Action’s proscription

Key Points:

• The UK Supreme Court has begun a two-day hearing on an appeal challenging the designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, a label imposed by the government under then-PM Keir Starmer in July last year.
• Palestine Action, a direct action group opposing Israel’s policies, argues the ban disproportionately restricts freedom of speech and protest, with cofounder Huda Ammori stating the proscription criminalises legitimate protest for the first time in UK history.
• Rights groups including Amnesty International and Liberty have condemned the ban, highlighting arrests of peaceful protesters and calling the government’s use of terrorism laws vague and excessive.
• Demonstrators gathered outside the court, with about 25 arrests made, including individuals holding placards supporting Palestine Action; Amnesty described these arrests as evidence of government overreach and misuse of terrorism powers.
• The UK government’s crackdown on pro-Palestine activism has faced criticism amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, exemplified recently by the denial of entry to Swedish academic Andreas Malm, a vocal Palestine supporter.