Judges deliver a stinging rebuke to the Home Office, terming the proscription of the protest group as disproportionate and a violation of civil liberties in a landmark victory for the right to protest.

In a bombshell judgment that shakes the foundations of the UK government`s crackdown on dissent, the High Court has ruled that the ban on Palestine Action is unlawful. The decision serves as a dramatic vindication for Huda Ammori and the group`s founders, who had been branded terrorists by the state for their direct-action campaigns against Elbit Systems and other defense contractors. The court`s ruling dismantles the Home Secretary`s argument that the group’s disruptive tactics equated to terrorism, drawing a sharp, judicial line between civil disobedience and violent extremism.

A Victory for Civil Liberties

The proscription, enforced in July 2025, had placed Palestine Action in the same legal category as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, making membership or support a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Dame Victoria Sharp, presiding over the case, found that this classification was "irrational and disproportionate." The judges accepted the defense`s argument that while the group`s actions—scaling roofs, smashing windows, and occupying factories—were criminal damage, they did not meet the high threshold of terrorism which requires a threat of serious violence to persons or the overthrow of the state.

This ruling is a significant blow to the government`s strategy of using anti-terror legislation to quell domestic protest movements. It signals that the judiciary is unwilling to allow the definition of terrorism to creep into the realm of political activism, no matter how disruptive. "The government tried to silence us with the ultimate silencer—the terror label," Ammori stated outside the Royal Courts of Justice. "Today, the law has confirmed that fighting for human rights is not terrorism."

• The Human Cost: During the months the ban was in force, dozens of activists were arrested, their homes raided, and their lives upended. This ruling opens the door for significant compensation claims against the police and the Home Office for wrongful arrest and imprisonment.
• The Political Fallout: The judgment puts the Home Secretary in a precarious position, facing accusations of politically weaponizing national security laws to protect corporate interests rather than public safety.

The Protest Continues

With the ban lifted, Palestine Action has vowed to immediately resume its campaign. The ruling not only legalizes their existence but potentially emboldens other direct-action groups who feared similar proscription. It re-establishes the legal space for aggressive, non-violent protest in the UK, affirming that while property damage is a crime, it is not an act of terror. The state’s attempt to blur these lines has failed, and the repercussions will be felt in protest movements across the globe.