Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 21, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePalestine Action's co-founder challenges the UK's terror group ban, arguing it abuses power and impacts protests. The government cites violence as justification.
LONDON (Reuters) -The co-founder of a pro-Palestinian campaign group sought on Monday to challenge the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, a move her lawyers said had "the hallmarks of an authoritarian and blatant abuse of power".
Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, is asking London's High Court to give the go-ahead for a full challenge to the group's proscription, which was made on the grounds it committed or participated in acts of terrorism.
Earlier this month, the High Court refused Ammori's application to pause the ban and, following an unsuccessful last-ditch appeal, Palestine Action's proscription came into effect just after midnight on July 5.
Proscription makes it a crime to be a member of the group, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Ammori's lawyer Raza Husain said Palestine Action is the first direct action group to be banned as a terror group, a move he argued was inconsistent with "the honourable history of civil disobedience on conscientious grounds in our country".
Dozens have been arrested for holding placards purportedly supporting the group since the ban and Ammori's lawyers say protesters expressing support for the Palestinian cause have also been subject to increased scrutiny from police officers.
Britain's interior minister Yvette Cooper, however, has said violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest and that Palestine Action's activities – including breaking into a military base and damaging two planes – justify proscription.
Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment.
The group accuses the British government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in its ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly denied committing abuses in its war in Gaza, which began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
The British government banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, citing that the group committed acts of violence and criminal damage.
Huda Ammori is asking London's High Court to allow a full challenge against the proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group.
Being a member of Palestine Action is now a crime, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Since the ban, dozens have been arrested for holding placards in support of Palestine Action, and supporters of the Palestinian cause have faced increased scrutiny.
Palestine Action has targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain by vandalizing property, including spraying red paint and blocking entrances.
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