Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is preparing to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, following a high-profile security breach at a British military base. The move, expected to be presented in a written statement to Parliament on Monday, would make membership of the group a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The planned proscription follows Friday’s break-in at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where activists sprayed red paint over two military aircraft in protest against UK arms sales to Israel. The incident has triggered a nationwide review of security protocols at military installations.
Palestine Action, which has led a series of high-profile direct actions against UK-based arms manufacturers, claims to be engaged in non-violent civil disobedience. However, the Home Office now considers its tactics and affiliations to meet the legal threshold for terrorism.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the home secretary may proscribe any group if there is a reasonable belief it is “concerned with terrorism,” which includes the use or threat of action designed to influence the government or intimidate the public for political purposes involving serious violence or disruption.
Currently, 81 organisations are proscribed in the UK under this legislation. The proposed addition of Palestine Action must pass through both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
In response to the announcement, Palestine Action issued a defiant statement: “When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action.”
The group also posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “If they want to ban us, they ban us all,” describing themselves as representing “every individual” opposed to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labelled the group’s actions at RAF Brize Norton “disgraceful” and stressed that such incidents put national security at risk. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman supported the move to ban the group, calling it “absolutely the correct decision” and stating, “We must have zero tolerance for terrorism.”
Other political voices echoed similar sentiments. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Robert Jenrick both called for Palestine Action to be outlawed following the Brize Norton incident.
However, civil liberties organisations have criticised the government’s use of counter-terrorism legislation against activist groups. Amnesty International UK said it was “deeply concerned at the use of counter-terrorism powers to target protest groups.”
“Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists, and they certainly shouldn’t be used to ban them,” the rights group wrote on social media.
The proposed ban is expected to raise heated debate in Parliament, with some MPs likely to question the proportionality of using terror laws against a political protest movement. If approved, the legislation will make it a criminal offence to be a member of Palestine Action, support it publicly, or wear clothing or symbols that suggest affiliation.
The Home Office is yet to issue an official statement but is expected to provide further details on Monday when Cooper’s written submission is published.
