Proscription was disproportionate – and has had a chilling effect

Last month I was granted permission by the high court to legally challenge the proscription of Palestine Action.

- Huda Ammori

The judge said the ban was arguably unlawful on the grounds that it was disproportionate with rights to free speech and protest, and that the home secretary failed to consult Palestine Action or any human rights organisations.

As my barristers argued, the proscription has had a chilling effect on thousands of people across the country. Examples include a former headmaster arrested for displaying a Private Eye cartoon, and protester Laura Murton being accused by police of potentially committing a terror offence by displaying a Palestine flag and a placard that said “Free Gaza”. Even the UN human rights commissioner, Volker Türk, agrees the proscription is “disproportionate and unnecessary”.