Latest news with #TerrorismActof2000
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestine Action court case: UK decision makes it an 'international outlier'
The banning of protest group Palestine Action has made the UK government an 'international outlier' when it comes to political protest, lawyers representing one of its co-founders told the High Court in London on Monday. The group uses direct action to oppose Israel's policies in Palestine and especially companies involved in the Israeli arms trade. It was proscribed by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this month. Palestine Action has denied any links to terrorism and described the government's move as politically motivated. It means it is now a criminal offence to be a member of Palestine Action, or to 'invite or recklessly express support for the group'. Those found guilty can face up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act of 2000. The designation puts Palestine Action on a par with al-Qaeda and Islamic State, among others. Ammori is seeking permission from the High Court for a judicial review of the government's decision. Opening the one-day hearing, Ammori's barrister Raza Husein KC, said: 'The proscription... renders the UK an international outlier in comparison to its partners in Europe and other parts of the world.' Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also representing Ammori, argued that the proscription of Palestine Action has had 'real-time' effects on the British public. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Using examples of arrests that have taken place since Palestine Action became a proscribed group, Ni Ghralaigh highlighted the case of Laura Murton, a woman who was threatened with a terrorism arrest in Canterbury by an armed officer for holding a sign that said 'Free Gaza". Mr Justice Chamberlain, who was presiding over the hearing, responded to Ni Ghralaigh's example and said the police were misapplying the law when shutting down legal pro-Palestine protests using terrorism laws. 'This is obviously an officer who doesn't understand the law at all,' he said. The court also heard that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre did not take into account the break-in at the RAF base at Brize Norton by members of Palestine Action - which ultimately led to the group being banned - when assessing whether to ban the organisation. James Eadie KC, representing the UK government, argued against a judicial review, saying it was not the appropriate forum to review the proscription. In written submissions, he said that Palestine Action and Ammori should rely on the Proscribed Organisation Appeal's Commission ( POAC) to oppose any proscription order, that parliament had 'made specific provision for challenging such decisions' and there was 'no good reason for going behind that process in the present case'. A portion of the hearing was also closed to the public to allow for the government to present classified evidence to bolster its case. Chamberlain said he would deliver a judgment next Wednesday, taking into account the secret evidence presented to him. Earlier moves to overturn ban Ammori's attempt to request a judicial review follows the High Court's rejection of calls to temporarily halt Cooper's ban on Palestine Action two weeks ago. Chamberlain, who presided over Monday's case, also heard the case on that occasion. In that judgement, Chamberlain 'concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force". The Court of Appeal later upheld the court's decision, less than two hours before the order banning the group was due to take effect. Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Carr, said: 'In conclusion, we have found no arguable error of law in the judgment nor have we found any arguable basis for a finding that his decision was not one that was open to him on the facts and the evidence. For these reasons we have concluded that there is no real prospect of a successful appeal and no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard.' More arrests at weekend Over the weekend, police arrested more than 100 people at events related to Palestine Action, in the third week of protests since the group was banned. Demonstrations occurred in Bristol, Cornwall, Edinburgh, and London as part of a campaign organised by Defend Our Juries to protest the banning of Palestine Action. In London, police arrested 55 demonstrators after protesters gathered next to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. During Saturday's national demonstration for Palestine in central London, the police also put up signs reminding protesters that showing support for Palestine Action could lead them to be prosecuted under the Terrorism Act. The ban came after Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last month, using electric scooters and spraying two RAF planes with red paint. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the act as 'disgraceful', while the Ministry of Defence claimed the activists caused £7m in damage. Following the parliamentary vote, Palestine Action criticised the Home Secretary for 'bundling our domestic civil disobedience protest group in with two violent neo-Nazi militias'. Ten Labour MPs, including Liverpool MP Richard Burgon, voted against the government. Burgon warned that the ban risked 'criminalising thousands of volunteers and supporters. United Nations special rapporteurs also said they had contacted the British government to tell it that 'acts of protest that damage property, but are not intended to kill or injure people, should not be treated as terrorism.'
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Over 100 arrested across UK amid protests in support of banned group Palestine Action
Over 100 people have been arrested across the United Kingdom for protesting against the government's decision to label Palestine Action as a terror group. Demonstrations in support of the pro-Palestine group were held in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro as part of a campaign led by Defend Our Juries. According to the Metropolitan police, at least 55 people were held on suspicion of terrorism offences, under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 after they displayed placards supporting Palestine Action. The demonstration has been termed as the largest in Westminster. With placards which read 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,' supporters of the banned Palestine Action group were surrounded at London's Parliament Square beside the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Saturday. Police officers searched the bags of those detained, while some were carried away, a few others were handcuffed. Sky: More than 100 people protesting against the ban of Palestine Action have been arrested in towns and cities across the UK. In London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro. The group became a proscribed terrorist organisation two weeks — Defend our Juries (@DefendourJuries) July 19, 2025 Metropolitan police added that nine people were further arrested for supporting Palestine Action group, when a large-scale march was organised to Whitehall by the Palestine Coalition, The Guardian reported. One further arrest was made following the last update bringing the total to 66, the details of which are below. This will be the final post on today's protest updates thread. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) July 19, 2025 Defending the Palestine Action group, Defend Our Juries in a post on X stated, 'The UK government is complicit in Israel's genocide against Palestinians. They are attempting to silence those who expose this complicity.' The Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led UK government proscribed Palestine Action as a terror group under the Terrorism Act of 2000, which made the support or membership of the group a criminal and punishable offence. A report by The Guardian quoted a woman who was detained in Parliament Square and said, 'We demand that Palestine Action is de-proscribed. Our government is not only arming a genocide, they are using terrorism laws to silence people who speak out.' The Israel-Gaza war, which started with militant group Hamas' surprise attack on Tel Aviv in October 2023, doesn't seem to be moving towards a ceasefire as key demands by both the warring factions have not been agreed upon.
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Protesters raise Scots 'police state' demos over 'Palestine support arrest'
A small group of up to a dozen protesters is expecting to be arrested in Glasgow over hardline verbal support for the Palestine Action - in the wake of a number of arrests in protests in England. It is expected to be followed by another demonstration will follow in Edinburgh which will focus on concerns over the arrest. Palestine Action was proscribed by the government under the Terrorism Act of 2000 as of last Saturday, meaning membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence. Both demonstrations will offer support for a man arrested under suspicion of a terror offence outside this year's TRNSMT festival in Glasgow at the weekend. READ MORE: A 55-year-old activist was arrested, cautioned and charged for wearing a t-shirt which Police Scotland said was alleged to be "wearing a t-shirt expressing support for a proscribed organisation". But the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) has protested about the arrest saying that he had the t-shirt offered no support for Palestine Action and merely read: "Genocide in PALESTINE. Time to take ACTION." Campaigners believe the arrest was wrongly made because the words 'Palestine' and 'Action' were the most prominent words and did not imply support for the terror group. Forces in London, Cardiff and Manchester have all made arrests on suspicion of terrorism offences. The Metropolitan Police in London made 41 arrests on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, with one person also arrested for common assault, as demonstrators gathered in the capital for a second weekend. A police officer stands in front of a protest in Parliament Square, London, to call for de-proscription of Palestine Action after a ban against the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20. (Image: James Manning/PA) Two groups of protesters gathered in Parliament Square in the capital shortly on Saturday. Some held placards bearing the words: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." Demonstrators were also seen lying on top of each other while police officers searched bags, taking ID cards and handmade signs. It is estimated there were over 70 arrests in total last weekend. Action is now planned for Glasgow - with a group saying they were prepared to spend time behind bars in the name civil liberties and the classification of Palestine Action as a terror group. Placards planned are expected to stay away from directly referencing Palestine Action but will say: "Genocide in PALESTINE... time to take ACTION." One of the Glasgow protesters told The Herald that the action will act in solidarity with the arrested activist which they did not believe should have been arrested and would be a civil liberties demonstration. "You should not be arrested for just supporting Palestine. "We are prepared to be arrested and spend time in jail because we oppose Palestine Action being proscribed as a terrorist organisation as they are in reality a non violent protest group opposed to genocide in Gaza. They should be de-proscribed now. "The British state is clearly on the slippery slope to becoming a police state by its actions and we believe that we in Scotland have got to stand up for the people of Palestine in demanding the end of the British state's complicity in their genocide through stopping the sending of arms to Israel and through imposing economic sanctions on Israel." The demonstration is due to take place at noon Nelson Mandela Place, which was so named in 1986 as a show of solidarity with the legendary freedom fighter and the city's opposition to the apartheid system then in place in South Africa. The location was chosen as a result of perceived support by Mandela for the Palestinian cause. During his long years in jail as an African National Congress (ANC) prisoner, Mandela was embraced by the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a fellow-fighter. And in 1999, after his release Mandela urged Israel to withdraw from Palestine-rule Gaza He said: "Israel should withdraw from all the areas which it won from the Arabs in 1967, and in particular Israel should withdraw completely from the Golan Heights, from south Lebanon and from the West Bank." The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) has made its protest about the TRNSMT arrest which led to the t-shirt being confiscated. But supporters say that the t-shirt did not reference Palestine Action. While a link on the t-shirt directs people to the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign website. And there are now plans to have the t-shirts distributed at the Edinburgh protest at The Mound. Demonstrators have been advised to say: "This t-shirt expresses my opposition to violence against civilians and what I believe is a humanitarian crisis in Palestine. "It does not reference or support any proscribed organisation, including Palestine Action. "The link on the shirt belongs to a legally operating advocacy group that is not banned. "I fully support peaceful protest and free expression, and I do not support terrorism or any group involved in unlawful acts. "If there's any confusion, I'm happy to clarify further.' Supporters of the Glasgow demonstration had planned placards saying, "No genocide. I am Palestine Action", but have changed the text to test the law in the wake of the arrest of the activist over the t-shirt. One of the protesters added: "It will be the first major demonstrations over Palestine Action being classed as a terror group. "We expect to be arrested under the Terrorism Act. We are people of conscience who have decided that enough is enough. We know exactly what will happen. "We believe the issue with the messaging on the t-shirt will be a test case in the law, because you cannot be arrested merely for stating support for Palestine." Palestine Action has engaged in activities that have predominantly targeted arms companies since the start of the current war in Gaza. Police detain a person after they took part in a protest in Parliament Square, London, to call for de-proscription of Palestine Action at the weekend (Image: James Manning/PA) The move to proscribe the organisation came after two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with paint by activists who broke into RAF Brize Norton in June - an incident for which the group claimed responsibility. Four people have since been remanded into custody charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK. Another woman, previously arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, has been released on bail, while a man was released without charge. The incident also prompted a security review across UK military airbases. In July, MPs voted to amend legislation to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the group had a "long history" of criminal damage. "Its activity has increased in frequency and severity [since 2024]," she added. "The UK's defence enterprise is vital to the nation's national security and this government will not tolerate those that put that security at risk." But critics have accused the government of misusing the legislation, and have questioned whether Palestine Action should be considered a terrorist group. A legal challenge attempting to temporarily block the proscription failed. Raza Husain KC, barrister for Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori, told a court that banning the group would constitute an "authoritarian abuse" of power. A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'A 55-year-old man was charged in connection with an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 for a wearing T-shirt expressing support for a proscribed organisation. "A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.' At the weekend, the SNP called on the UK Government to 'stop the excuses' and follow other European countries in recognising the state of Palestine. The party's comments follow a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron during his recent state visit to the UK, in which he said recognising the state of Palestine was 'the only path to peace'. The SNP also called on the UK Government to stop the sale of arms to Israel, saying that failure by the Government to 'use the power it has' to end the conflict in Gaza would make it 'totally complicit' in what it called a 'slaughter'. SNP Middle East spokesman Brendan O'Hara MP said that if the UK Government 'could muster just a shred of conviction and courage they would have the power to act'. He went on: 'After witnessing another week of slaughter, the Labour Party could, and should, begin this new week by taking two concrete steps,' he said. 'They should start this new week by finally stopping all arms sales to Israel and finally recognising the state of Palestine."
Wales Online
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Protesters arrested in Cardiff amid UK-wide anger over Palestine Action
Protesters arrested in Cardiff amid UK-wide anger over Palestine Action Arrests were made on suspicion of supporting a proscribed terror organisation A protester being arrested in Cardiff (Image: Richard Swingler ) People protesting in Cardiff on Saturday were among around 70 across the UK arrested for showing support for a proscribed terror organisation. The protests outside the BBC Wales headquarters in the centre of Cardiff were held alongside parallel protests in London and Manchester. Some 13 people were arrested in Cardiff as well as 41 in London and 16 in Manchester. The protests were over the decision to class Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. The designation means that membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence. South Wales Police said that it arrested 13 people who had been protesting outside the BBC offices near Cardiff's Central Square. The protesters were lying on the floor and bore placards which read 'I oppose genocide' and 'I support Palestine Action'. The arrests were all on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation. Article continues below One said the designation of Palestine Action as a terror group was an "infringement of our democractic right to peaceful protest". South Wales Police said it "supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully". In her speech announcing the decision to make Palestine Action a proscribed body, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper referred to an attack on Brize Norton on Friday, June 20, in which two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with paint. She called it "the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action" and said the Government would not "tolerate those who put [national] security at risk". She said: "Since its inception in 2020, Palestine Action has orchestrated a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action against businesses and institutions, including key national infrastructure and defence firms that provide services and supplies to support Ukraine, NATO, Five Eyes allies and the UK defence enterprise. "Its activity has increased in frequency and severity since the start of 2024 and its methods have become more aggressive, with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence. Article continues below "Palestine Action has also broadened its targets from the defence industry to include financial firms, charities, universities and Government buildings. Its activities meet the threshold set out in the statutory tests established under the Terrorism Act 2000. "This has been assessed through a robust, evidence-based process, by a wide range of experts from across Government, the police and the security services. "In several attacks, Palestine Action has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government."
1News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- 1News
UK bans pro-Palestinian groups under anti-terrorism laws
The pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action lost a bid to block the British government's decision to ban it under anti-terrorism laws after activists broke into a military base last month and vandalised two planes. At a hearing at the High Court in London, the group had sought to temporarily block what it considered to be an "authoritarian" ban, which will go into effect at midnight. The ban will make membership of the group and support of its actions a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. But Justice Martin Chamberlain, who spent all day listening to lawyers representing the group and the government, declined to give the organisation interim relief from the ban, which was first proposed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and approved by lawmakers earlier this week. While conceding that the order to proscribe Palestine Action a terrorist organisation may have "wider consequences for the way the public understands the concept of 'terrorism'," he said it is not "the court's function to comment on the wisdom of the use of the power in the case". ADVERTISEMENT Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, was hoping the court would temporarily block the government from banning the group as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 before a potential legal challenge. Some 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas and al-Qaida. Demonstrators during a protest by Palestine Action group in London. (Source: Associated Press) Ammori's lawyer Raza Husain had asked the court to suspend the "ill-considered" and "authoritarian abuse of statutory power" until a hearing, which is due around July 21. "This is the first time in our history that a direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists," he said. He added that his client had been "inspired" by a long history of direct action in the UK, "from the suffragettes, to anti-apartheid activists, to Iraq War activists". The ban was triggered after pro-Palestinian activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton, damaging two planes using red paint and crowbars in protest at the British government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Police said that the incident caused around 7 million pounds (NZ$15.7 million) worth of damage, with four people charged in connection with the incident. The four, aged between 22 and 35, were charged Thursday (local time) with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the UK. No pleas were entered at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London and the four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation a few days after the break-in. She said the vandalism to the two planes was "disgraceful," adding that the group had a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage".
