The UK government, led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, is proposing to designate the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under anti-terrorism laws. This decision comes after an incident in which members of the group spray-painted a British warplane at a military base in Brize Norton, an act that Cooper described as a ‘disgraceful attack.’ In a letter to Parliament, Cooper stated that such actions are part of a long history of criminal damage by the group, which she claims endangers national security by disrupting weapons supplies to Ukraine, NATO nations, and other allies. Cooper also accused the group of impacting innocent civilians fleeing violence.
Founded in 2020, Palestine Action has sought to disrupt British military support for Israel. The group has targeted local arms factories operated by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. Its confrontational tactics have gained support amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Cooper argued that Palestine Action’s actions disrupt weapons supplies to allies and endanger innocent civilians fleeing violence. Legal representatives for the group have called the proposed ban ‘unprecedented,’ likening it to equating protesters with terrorist organizations like ISIS, and warned it could stifle freedom of expression. The measure faces opposition from several lawmakers, including Jeremy Corbyn, who criticized the proposal as an attempt to evade accountability for the UK’s support of Israel.
Critics, including the law firm Kellys Solicitors representing the group, argue that the move is an overreach and risks setting a dangerous precedent by equating political protest with terrorism. The firm’s letter to Cooper’s office called the ban ‘wholly unprecedented’ and described the move as ‘unhinged,’ ‘unlawful,’ and ‘an ill-thought-out attack on freedom of expression and assembly.’ The letter also accused Cooper of mischaracterizing the group’s actions, stating that the group is not targeting individuals and that property damage is only occasional. The firm emphasized that the real crime is the war crimes enabled by the UK’s complicity in Israel’s actions, rather than the red paint on the warplanes.
The Guardian, in an editorial, warned that if the proposal is passed, the threshold of terrorism will be lowered to include acts such as daubing aircraft or chaining oneself to doors. Several lawmakers have voiced opposition, with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling the proposal ‘the desperate cries of a draconian government trying to shield itself from accountability’ for its support of Israel. Independent MP Shockat Adam echoed this sentiment, calling the measure ‘as absurd as it is authoritarian.’