Palestine Action is not a terrorist group, court rules

'Disappointed' Home Secretary to appeal

- BY MICHAEL KNOWLES Home Affairs Editor

Court protest Right Shabana Mahmood

PALESTINE Action has organised and undertaken actions amounting to terrorism but should not be put on a par with extremist groups such as Islamic State and Hezbollah, judges ruled.

The organisation was celebrating a legal victory yesterday after the Home Office’s decision to proscribe it as a terrorist group was judged unlawful.

There has been widespread concern over its criminal activity, including spraying two RAF aircraft with red paint at Brize Norton, and last week five Palestine Action protesters were cleared of aggravated burglary at a UK subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm.

They were also charged with criminal damage and violent disorder at Elbit Systems near Bristol in August 2024, but the jury reached partial or no verdicts on those counts, for which they could face a retrial.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed” by the High Court ruling and will appeal.