Police arrest Palestine Action supporters at Supreme Court hearing

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 20:27 · Archive

Police arrested more than two dozen Palestine Action supporters outside the UK Supreme Court on Wednesday as the group challenged its ban under anti-terrorism laws.

Police arrested more than two dozen supporters of Palestine Action outside the UK Supreme Court on Wednesday as justices heard the group's challenge to its designation as a terrorist organisation.

The government banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 to protest British military support for Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The ban has led to more than 3,000 arrests of supporters over the past year. The designation places Palestine Action in the same legal category as al-Qaida and Hamas and makes membership in or support for the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Palestine Action supporters and civil liberties groups say the arrests of peaceful protesters have violated their rights to free speech and protest. A lower court ruled that the government acted unlawfully in banning the group, but five Court of Appeal judges reversed that decision in June.

A lawyer for the group, Raza Husain, told the court on Wednesday that only three of Palestine Action's 385 actions over five years met the legal definition of terrorism, and only because they involved property damage. He argued that Palestine Action is the first of nearly 100 proscribed organisations to be banned solely for causing serious property damage, 'with no suggestion that it advocated serious violence'.

How it is being reported

• London police make arrests outside court hearing Palestine Action ban appealSupporters of Palestine Action were arrested outside the U.K. Supreme Court as justices heard the group’s challenge to its designation as a terrorist organization.News4Jax · 4 Nov, 19:40
• London police make arrests outside court hearing Palestine Action ban appealSupporters of Palestine Action were arrested outside the U.K. Supreme Court as justices heard the group’s challenge to its designation as a terrorist organization.Clickorlando · 4 Nov, 19:40

In this story: Palestine Action · UK Supreme Court · Royal Air Force · Huda Ammori · Raza Husain · Gaza · Israel · London

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log