UK ban on pro-Palestine group under scrutiny in court

LONDON (Reuters) -The British government's decision to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation will be challenged in court on Wednesday, with lawyers representing a co-founder arguing it is a misuse of anti-terrorism laws.

Palestine Action was proscribed in July, putting it on a par with Islamic State or al Qaeda and making it a crime to be a member, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

The group had increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain with 'direct action', often blocking entrances, smashing windows or spraying red paint at businesses.

Britain's Home Office, or interior ministry, moved to ban the group after an escalating series of actions, culminating in a June break-in at the RAF Brize Norton air base when activists damaged two planes.

Critics of the ban, however, argue acts of protest which damage property do not amount to terrorism and the move curtails protest rights.

GROUP'S ACTIONS ESCALATED AMID WAR IN GAZA

Palestine Action was founded in 2020 and gained prominence with protests targeting Israeli defence companies and British firms linked to them. It stepped up its actions during the Gaza war.

Six members were arrested on suspicion of plotting to disrupt the London Stock Exchange in January 2024.

Six others went on trial last week for aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder over a raid on Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, with one also charged with causing grievous bodily harm by hitting a police officer with a sledgehammer.

Britain's then-interior minister Yvette Cooper moved to ban the group shortly after military planes were targeted in June. But the decision has been criticised by groups including Amnesty International and Liberty, which have intervened in the case.

CASE COULD END DOZENS OF PROSECUTIONS

More than 2,000 people have since been arrested for holding signs in support of the group, with over 200 charged for expressing support for a proscribed organisation with placards reading: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."

Six people have also been charged with organising support for Palestine Action, with prosecutors alleging they arranged meetings to encourage "mass civil disobedience".

But if Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori's legal challenge is successful at London's High Court, those charged will be able to defend the prosecution on the basis that Palestine Action's proscription had been ruled unlawful.

Her lawyers have also referred to instances of pro-Palestinian protesters being questioned by police at demonstrations without expressing support for Palestine Action, arguing the ban is having a wider impact than intended.

The Home Office said in a statement before the hearing that Palestine Action had "conducted an escalating campaign involving not just sustained criminal damage, including to Britain's national security infrastructure, but also intimidation and alleged violence and serious injuries to individuals".

(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Peter Graff)