logo
Palestine Action terror ban made UK ‘international outlier', High Court told

Palestine Action terror ban made UK ‘international outlier', High Court told

Leader Live21-07-2025
The group's co-founder Huda Ammori is making a bid to legally challenge Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's decision to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws, announced after the group claimed an action which saw two Voyager planes damaged at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
On July 4, Ms Ammori failed in a High Court bid to temporarily block the ban coming into effect, with the Court of Appeal dismissing a challenge over that decision less than two hours before the proscription came into force on July 5.
The case returned to the High Court in London on Monday, where lawyers for Ms Ammori asked a judge to grant the green light for a full legal challenge against the decision to ban the group, saying it was an 'unlawful interference' with freedom of expression.
Raza Husain KC said: 'We say the proscription of Palestine Action is repugnant to the tradition of the common law and contrary to the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights).'
The barrister continued: 'The decision is so extreme as to render the UK an international outlier.'
Mr Husain added: 'The decision to proscribe Palestine Action had the hallmarks of an authoritarian and blatant abuse of power.'
'The consequences are not just limited to arrest,' Mr Husain later said, telling the court there was 'rampant uncertainty' in the aftermath of the ban.
Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also for Ms Ammori, later said: 'The impacts (of proscription) have already been significant.'
She continued: 'Dozens and dozens of people have been arrested for protesting, seated and mostly silent protest.'
The Home Office is defending the legal challenge.
Previously, Ben Watson KC, for the Home Office, said Palestine Action could challenge the Home Secretary's decision at the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC), a specialist tribunal, rather than at the High Court.
Sir James Eadie KC, representing the department on Monday, said that an 'exceptional case' would be needed for it to go to the High Court, rather than the POAC.
He said: 'Judicial review is, and has been accepted to be, a remedy of last resort and that is for very good and well-established reasons.'
However, Mr Husain told the court on Monday morning that the POAC was not 'convenient nor effective' in this case.
He continued: 'It would be quite absurd to say that we should tolerate the consequences of the proscription… even if it is unlawful, and just go to POAC.
'That is an absurd position.'
Ms Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, stating that the vandalism of the two planes, which police said caused an estimated £7 million of damage, was 'disgraceful'.
More than 100 people were arrested across the country during demonstrations this weekend protesting against the proscription, with protests held in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro on Saturday.
Saturday's arrests brought the total number of people arrested since the ban came into force to more than 200, with more than 72 arrested across the UK last weekend and 29 the week before.
The hearing before Mr Justice Chamberlain is due to conclude on Monday.
A decision may be given at the end of the hearing, or in writing at a later date.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Palestine Action co-founder wins permission to challenge ban
Palestine Action co-founder wins permission to challenge ban

The Guardian

time2 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Palestine Action co-founder wins permission to challenge ban

The co-founder of Palestine Action can bring an unprecedented legal challenge to the home secretary's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, a high court judge has ruled. Mr Justice Chamberlain said the proscription order against the direct action group risked 'considerable harm to the public interest' because of a potential 'chilling effect' on legitimate political speech. The judge cited the case of Laura Murton, who the Guardian revealed had been threatened with arrest by armed officers for holding a sign saying 'Free Gaza' and a Palestinian flag. Chamberlain's decision is the first time that an organisation banned under anti-terrorism law has been granted a court trial to challenge proscription. The judge said: 'If, as the claimant says, the proscription order is likely to have a significant chilling effect on the legitimate political speech of many thousands of people, that would do considerable harm to the public interest. 'Reports of the kind of police conduct referred to … are liable to have a chilling effect on those wishing to express legitimate political views. This effect can properly be regarded as an indirect consequence of the proscription order.' He continued: 'I consider it reasonably arguable that the proscription order amounts to a disproportionate interference with the article 10 and article 11 (European convention of human rights) rights (freedom of expression and assembly, respectively) of the claimant and others.' The group's co-founder, Huda Ammori, called it a 'landmark decision … especially at a time when protesters – mostly elderly citizens – are being dragged off in police vans, held in detention for more than 24 hours, having their homes raided and face criminal prosecution, simply for holding signs that they oppose genocide and expressing their support for Palestine Action'. More than 200 people are believed to have been arrested since the 5 July ban on Palestine Action, the first on a direct action group, placing it alongside the likes of Islamic State and Boko Haram. The three-day hearing in November will increase scrutiny on the decision-making of the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, and casts uncertainty over the fate of those recently arrested under the Terrorism Act in relation to Palestine Action – or who might be arrested in future. The Home Office had argued that the proper forum for Palestine Action to challenge the ban was the POAC (Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission), which parliament had designated precisely for that purpose, rather than judicial review. But Chamberlain said POAC would be unlikely to be able to hear the case before the middle of next year whereas a judicial review could be heard this autumn and there was a strong public interest for it to be determined authoritatively as soon as possible. Otherwise, people charged with criminal offences under the Terrorism Act might seek to challenge the legality of the proscription order in courts that might reach different decisions, creating 'a recipe for chaos', he said. The second ground on which Chamberlain granted permission for judicial review, in addition to concerns about freedom of speech and protest, was that Cooper had not consulted Palestine Action before proscribing it, finding it reasonably arguable that there was a duty to consult. The judge refused Ammori permission to challenge the government on six other grounds, including a claim that the home secretary had failed to gather sufficient information on Palestine Action's activities or the impact of the proscription on people associated with the group. Chamberlain referred in his judgment to the 'deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza'. He quoted from a joint statement last week by the foreign secretary, David Lammy, and the foreign ministers of 27 other countries in which they said 'the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Documents in the case showed that Cooper held private discussions with aides for three months before she took the decision to ban Palestine Action. On one occasion, she decided to ban the group but reversed course two days later. She finally decided to ban the group on 20 June, hours after Palestine Action said its members had broken into the RAF's Brize Norton airbase and defaced two military aircraft with spray paint. On 7 March, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), a government body based within MI5, produced a secret report. It concluded that the majority of Palestine Action's activities would not be classified as terrorism on the grounds that the group 'primarily uses direct action tactics', which typically resulted in minor damage to property. 'Common tactics include graffiti, petty vandalism, occupation and lock-ons,' it added. Nonetheless JTAC concluded that Palestine Action should be banned, arguing that its protests had been escalating, citing three protests it said constituted acts of terrorism. Whitehall officials supported a ban too, but conceded that proscribing the group would be 'relatively novel' as 'there was no known precedent of an organisation being proscribed on the basis that it was concerned in terrorism mainly due to its use or threat of action involving series damage to property'. From late March officials recommended on a series of occasions that the group be banned, but Cooper made no firm decision, often requesting more information. On 14 May she backed the ban but two days later delayed implementing it as she wanted more details on Palestine Action's recent activities. A Whitehall minute recorded that by 2.15pm on 20 June, Cooper had decided that Palestine Action was to be banned 'at pace'. An application by Ammori's lawyers to suspend the effect of the proscription order until the trial has taken place in November was rejected by Chamberlain. The judge also refused a request by the Home Office to bring an appeal over his decision about POAC. At last week's hearing, lawyers for Ammori also highlighted the arrest of a man in Leeds for carrying a placard reproducing a graphic from Private Eye magazine, which said: 'Unacceptable Palestine Action: spraying military planes. Acceptable Palestine Action: shooting Palestinians queueing for food.'

‘At 80, to be treated like a terrorist is shocking': arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action
‘At 80, to be treated like a terrorist is shocking': arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action

The Guardian

time3 hours ago

  • The Guardian

‘At 80, to be treated like a terrorist is shocking': arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action

Palestine Action's co-founder has won a bid to bring a high court challenge over the group's ban as a terror organisation, which makes membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. About 200 people have been arrested on suspicion of publicly protesting support for PA since it was banned. They include: Retired teacher Farley was picked up by police at a silent demonstration in Leeds for holding a sign that made a joke about the government's proscription of the group Palestine Action taken from an issue of the fortnightly satirical magazine Private Eye. He was then arrested under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which he described as a 'pretty terrifying and upsetting experience'. Farley, who had never been arrested before, told the Guardian: 'I clearly wasn't any kind of physical threat.' The Private Eye editor, Ian Hislop, said the arrest was 'mind boggling'. Retired teacher Sorrell from Wells, Somerset, was arrested for holding a placard at a pro-Palestine rally in Cardiff, and she was held by police for almost 27 hours, during which officers forced their way into her house and searched it. She said officers removed 19 items from her home, including iPads, a Palestinian flag, books on Palestine, material related to Extinction Rebellion and the climate crisis, as well as drumsticks for – and a belt that holds – her samba drum. 'At 80, to be treated like a dangerous terrorist is deeply shocking. I've been very traumatised by this. Every morning I wake up feeling sick, nauseous. [I have] had to take anti-sickness pills,' she told the Guardian. Retired teacher Also from Wells and a friend of Sorrell, Fine was held for the same period of time. The women have been bailed until October. Their bail conditions prohibit contact with each other and spending any nights away from their homes. She said that during her detention officers refused to let her have the antibiotics she was taking for a serious gum infection, and failed to call her husband, who is recovering from cancer treatment, to tell him about her arrest, despite having agreed to do so. Retired priest Parfitt, from Henbury in Bristol, was arrested on the same day the group was outlawed. She was attending a demonstration in Parliament Square in London. She was sitting in a camp chair surrounded by other protesters, holding a placard stating her support for Palestine Action. As she was led away by police, she called the ban 'total nonsense', adding that it symbolised a 'loss of civil liberties in this country', according to the BBC. Hinton is a retired magistrate. Baines is a former charity director Hinton and Baines were among eight people arrested by Devon and Cornwall officers at a peaceful demonstration. 'She's a pillar of the community, so it's a very brave thing for her to have done,' Baines said of Hinton. 'Part of why we were protesting is that this mission creep of laws against protests is really frightening people. This is about freedom of speech,' he told Cornwall Live. He added: 'We're not advocating for Palestine Action. We're resisting the proscription of Palestine Action. We're resisting the politicised use of terror laws to suppress a non-violent campaign of sabotage. We're resisting the criminalisation of peaceful protest because it's already being used to intimidate and threaten people just for having Palestine flags.'

Extremism online 'contributing to violence' as teen jailed over mass shooting plot
Extremism online 'contributing to violence' as teen jailed over mass shooting plot

STV News

time4 hours ago

  • STV News

Extremism online 'contributing to violence' as teen jailed over mass shooting plot

Extremist views online may be contributing to young people wanting to carry out violence, a psychologist has warned. It comes after an Edinburgh teenager who wanted to carry out a mass shooting at his own school was jailed for six years. Felix Winter, now aged 18, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday. He repeatedly spoke about carrying out an attack at his secondary school, referring to the day he would 'clear it out' as 'Doomsday'. The court previously heard the teenager 'idolised' the killers behind the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in the United States in 1999, which saw 12 students and a teacher gunned down. A major police investigation began in the summer of 2023 after a photo circulated on social media showing the boy at school in full combat gear, carrying an imitation gun, which caused panic among pupils and parents. Winter had already been referred to a UK-wide anti-terrorism programme aimed at preventing radicalisation. He also held racist and pro-Nazi views. Police Scotland Felix Winter has been sentenced to six years in prison for Terrorism offences at the Hight Court in Glasgow. Dr Dawn Harris, consultant clinical forensic psychologist, says extremist views on social media can fuel young people to feel the world is a 'threatening place'. She stressed a number of factors, however, can lead to a young person to think or act with extremist ideas. Dr Harris told STV News: 'In teenage years, it's all about peers, influences, and risk-taking. Impulsivity is quite high. So as a result, teenagers are trying to find an identity in the world. 'We know that teenagers these days have a lot of problems with mental health. They might have had untreated traumas. It might be in the family home. It might be at school. 'And if you think about that, then that creates this idea that the world is a threatening place. 'When the world becomes a threatening place, how do I deal with this when I'm a teenager? 'I don't know how to verbalise it to others. So I go searching. I look at the internet, and I might find that people are feeling like that too. 'I start talking to them and they fuel my desire for revenge. You know, there's a saying of hurt people hurt people. So I now have this in my head. It's all in my subconscious. 'I then start to talk to them. I get into forums, and I start to feel I belong. When at home and at school, I don't belong. 'If you take all of those factors, the person might then start to look at violence online, and they might be introduced to violence by someone else. 'A teenage brain is very susceptible to other influences, what other people say. If you don't have an adult around, you can go to search for it with these people who might have extremist views. 'As a teenager, the question is what's my identity? Who am I? Who can I be?' Dr Harris added: 'There is evidence around the fact that it's not social media per se. That is the difficulty. I think it's more about if you are quite vulnerable in the first place, you can go on to social media. 'There are media algorithms that will then provide you with information about what you are already searching for, be that violence or other fantasies. 'If you're already vulnerable because of trauma, because of other difficulties, autism, neurodivergent generally, then that can also create problems. 'And as you look again online for something, some answers are going to help you to figure out what's going on in your head. 'That is really confusing. So yes, it can be very dangerous for people who already have existing abilities.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store