On Monday, September 1st, London Metropolitan Police said it had charged another 47 people with supporting Palestine Action, bringing the total number of activists accused of backing the proscribed group to 114.
The accused—aged between 18 and 81—will appear in court on October 27th and 28th, and face a possible maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment if found guilty.
The UK government designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization after two aeroplanes at a Royal Air Force base were vandalized, resulting in an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of damage.
After the ban, more than 700 people have been arrested, mostly at demonstrations, since the group was outlawed under the Terrorism Act 2000. So far, 114 of those arrested have been formally charged.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper has said the group had a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage,” insisting “many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation,” adding it “is not non-violent.” However, some are critical of a change in the law which has bracketed British vandals with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—but not the murderous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which remains legal in Britain.
Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has presented itself as a ‘direct action’ network opposing what it considers British ‘complicity’ with Israel, especially over arms sales.
It has also targeted arms companies in the UK, including a branch of the Israeli group Elbit, as well as, in March, storming a Scottish golf course belonging to U.S. president Donald Trump.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has taken legal action to contest the UK government’s ban, and a hearing is set for November.
