LONDON — The British government’s ban on anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation is unlawful, London’s High Court rules, after a legal challenge by the group’s co-founder.
Palestine Action was proscribed in July, having increasingly targeted Israel-linked defense companies in Britain with “direct action,” often blocking entrances or spraying red paint.
In 2024, activists raided a factory near Bristol, which prosecutors said caused roughly £1 million ($1.4 million) in damage and left a police officer with a fractured spine after she was struck with a sledgehammer. Six activists were acquitted over the incident earlier this month.
The High Court upholds two grounds of challenge, with Judge Victoria Sharp saying: “Proscription did result in a significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and the right to freedom of assembly.”
Zev Stub contributed to this report.
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