The UK home secretary has announced plans to ban the activist group Palestine Action under anti-terror laws, despite legal warnings from the group’s lawyers who called the move “unlawful, dangerous, and ill thought out.” Speaking in parliament on Monday, just three days after the group’s activists broke into RAF Brize Norton, Yvette Cooper said a draft order to outlaw the organisation would be introduced on 30 June. If approved, the ban would make it a criminal offence to be a member of or show support for Palestine Action.

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Founded in 2020, Palestine Action says its mission is to stop genocide and war crimes in Palestine by exposing and taking action against sites linked to such violations. The group has received notable public backing, and many of its activists have previously been found not guilty by juries. In a letter sent to Yvette Cooper on Monday, legal firm Kellys Solicitors said the group "has gathered a significant level of public support”.

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However, in a statement, the home secretary said: “The disgraceful attack on Brize Norton in the early hours of the morning on Friday 20 June is the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action. The UK’s defence enterprise is vital to the nation’s national security and this government will not tolerate those that put that security at risk.”

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The home secretary also emphasised that Brize Norton's services are also essential outside of aiding Israel, claiming its activities had included operations against “key national infrastructure and defence firms that provide services and supplies to support Ukraine”.

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In their letter to Yvette Cooper, Kellys Solicitors argued that no direct action protest group has ever been banned under the Terrorism Act 2000, even though other organisations have used similar tactics to Palestine Action. They warned that doing so would set a “terrifying precedent” by equating the group with extremist organisations like Islamic State, al-Qaida, or National Action.

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The letter read: “Whilst some actions of those associated with Palestine Action have involved damage to property, activists do not advocate or intend unlawful violence against the person. A significant number of actions associated with Palestine Action have used entirely conventional campaigning methods such as marches, rallies and demos. It is an authoritarian turn and an abuse of language to label them as a ‘terrorist’ organisation,"

“The proposal to proscribe Palestine Action is wholly unprecedented and constitutes an unlawful, dangerous and ill-thought-out attack on freedom of expression and assembly.”

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Following the unveiling of the ban, Palestine Action said: "Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets."

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They added: "When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action."

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In a written statement, Cooper said: "This decision is specific to Palestine Action and does not affect lawful protest groups and other organisations campaigning on issues around Palestine or the Middle East.

"It is vitally important that those seeking to protest peacefully, including pro-Palestinian groups, those opposing the actions of the Israeli government, and those demanding changes in the UK's foreign policy, can continue to do so."

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