Aysu Biçer
15 June 2026•Update: 15 June 2026
UK police have intervened outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London as protesters opposing the ban on Palestine Action were removed and arrests made.
This comes after the UK Court of Appeal on Monday ruled that the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was lawful, overturning a previous High Court ruling that found the ban breached the right to protest.
The Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr said on Monday that it was “not a sustainable proposition to portray Palestine Action as a nonviolent organization.”
As lawyers for the group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, addressed supporters, police officers moved in to detain demonstrators.
Some protesters were carried away, with an officer holding each limb, while a crowd of around 200 people applauded and shouted “shame” and “you’re complicit” at officers.
The Metropolitan Police said arrests were underway at the demonstration and issued a statement confirming enforcement action following the Court of Appeal ruling.
“We acknowledge the Court of Appeal’s judgment that the Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action was lawful. This means that expressing support for the organization remains a criminal offence, and officers will arrest those who break the law.
“Officers are policing a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice today where a number of people are displaying placards in support of Palestine Action. Arrests are underway.”
Amnesty International and civil liberties campaigners on Monday criticized the ruling, arguing that the move represents an alarming expansion of counterterrorism powers and threatens the right to protest.
The ruling follows earlier proceedings in February, when three judges found that then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 last year was unlawful. That judgment came after a legal challenge brought by Ammori.
The ban, which began on July 5 last year, made membership in, or support for, the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison and has remained in force while the government continued to challenge the ruling.
There have been around 3,000 arrests linked to support for Palestine Action since the ban was imposed last July, according to local media.
