Palestine Action ban undermined confidence in anti-terror laws, Supreme Court told

Lawyers for Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori told the Supreme Court that banning the group has undermined confidence in the UK’s anti-terrorism laws and prompted unprecedented civil disobedience. The case is a major challenge to the group’s proscription, with the justices asked to consider whether it is compatible with freedom of speech and protest.

The group has carried out direct action at firms linked to Israel’s military, including occupations and property damage. Home Office figures cited by the BBC indicate more than 4,000 arrests at protests where people displayed supportive signs, and prosecutors have authorised 1,200 charges; related trials are on hold pending the ruling. Ammori’s lawyers say only three of 385 incidents assessed by the Home Secretary amounted to offences under the Terrorism Act, while Jewish communal groups argue the ban was justified by the group’s violent activities.