On Saturday, September 6, 2025, the heart of London’s Parliament Square became the focal point of a fierce debate over protest rights, government authority, and the definition of terrorism in the United Kingdom. Hundreds of supporters of the activist group Palestine Action gathered to challenge the British government’s controversial decision to designate the organization as a terrorist group—a move that, according to critics, has cast a long shadow over civil liberties and the right to dissent.
By day’s end, London’s Metropolitan Police had arrested more than 425 people at the demonstration, including many over the age of 60. The protest had been organized by Defend Our Juries, a campaign group that estimated 1,500 participants, while police put the number between 1,000 and 1,400. Protesters held signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,” as officers moved in to detain demonstrators under anti-terrorism laws. The arrests came swiftly, with chants of “Shame on you” and “Met Police, pick a side, justice or genocide” echoing through the square as police dragged away those refusing to comply.
For many, the day’s events felt like a tipping point. The British government had banned Palestine Action in July 2025, following a dramatic incident in late June when activists broke into RAF Brize Norton—Britain’s largest airbase—and vandalized two Airbus Voyager refueling planes with paint and crowbars. The government’s response was uncompromising: then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper declared the group a terrorist organization, equating it with groups like Hamas, al Qaeda, and ISIS. “The assessments are very clear, this is not a nonviolent organization,” Cooper stated at the time, justifying the proscription as a necessary measure to safeguard national security and prevent further criminal damage.
The ban, which makes it a crime to support or belong to Palestine Action and carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison, has been met with both support and outrage. The government insists that the move does not affect other lawful pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel groups’ rights to protest peacefully. Still, the crackdown has raised concerns across a broad spectrum of society, with human rights organizations, the United Nations, and prominent cultural figures voicing alarm at what they see as a disproportionate response.
According to Reuters, during Saturday’s protest, police reported that officers were “punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them by protesters,” with more than 25 arrests for assaulting officers or public order offenses and the remainder under the Terrorism Act. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart called the abuse directed at police “intolerable.” Yet, Defend Our Juries dismissed police claims of violence as “frankly laughable,” maintaining that aggression had come from the authorities, not the demonstrators. Video footage verified by CNN showed officers drawing batons and struggling with protesters, further fueling the debate over the appropriate use of force.
Palestine Action itself was founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori and climate activist Richard Barnard. The group’s mission, as described by CNN, is to disrupt the operations of weapons manufacturers linked to Israel, such as Elbit Systems UK and UAV Tactical Systems. The group has carried out a series of high-profile actions, including occupying and spray-painting the offices of defense firms, blockading factories, and even defacing historical portraits associated with British support for Israel. Palestine Action insists its tactics are disruptive but not targeted at people, focusing instead on property and infrastructure.
But the government’s patience ran out after the RAF Brize Norton incident. An assessment by the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre concluded that Palestine Action had crossed the line from protest to sabotage. In the words of Lord Walney (John Woodcock), author of a 2024 government review on political violence, “The definition of terrorism absolutely encompasses the kind of economic damage for a political cause which Palestine Action have systematically carried out.” Woodcock, who has been a paid adviser to arms manufacturers and is the former chair of Labour Friends of Israel, told CNN that the ban was “justified and proportionate.”
Yet, many disagree. Amnesty UK has called the move “a disturbing legal overreach,” arguing that existing criminal laws could address property damage without invoking terrorism statutes. The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, openly criticized the British government’s stance, warning that the new law “misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism” and risks hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms. “The decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist group raises serious concerns that counterterrorism laws are being applied to conduct that is not terrorist in nature,” Türk said, adding that, according to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to crimes intended to cause death, serious injury, or the taking of hostages.
Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, described the ban as “catastrophic” for civil liberties, warning that it would have a “much wider chilling effect on freedom of speech.” The group’s supporters include bestselling author Sally Rooney, who has pledged to use proceeds from her work to “keep backing Palestine Action and direct action against genocide.”
The crackdown has not been limited to the group’s members. Since the terror designation, more than 700 people have been arrested at solidarity protests across the UK, including more than 500 in London on August 9—the largest mass arrest in the capital since the 1960s. Police data cited by CNN revealed that nearly half of those arrested that day were aged 60 or older, with some in their 70s and 80s. Mike Higgins, a 62-year-old blind protester who uses a wheelchair, was arrested last month but returned for Saturday’s demonstration. “And I’m a terrorist? That’s the joke of it,” Higgins told Reuters. “I’ve already been arrested under the Terrorism Act and I suspect I will be today. Of course I’ll keep coming back. What choice do I have?”
Meanwhile, police have carried out counter-terrorism raids on Defend Our Juries organizers, arresting and charging seven spokespeople just before a scheduled news conference about the protests. The government, for its part, maintains that the proscription of Palestine Action does not affect other lawful groups’ rights to campaign or protest peacefully. On the same day as the Parliament Square protest, police estimated that 20,000 people attended a separate pro-Palestinian march elsewhere in London—an indicator that public support for Palestine Action and broader protest rights remains robust.
The legal battle over the ban is far from over. The High Court has granted Palestine Action the right to challenge its proscription, with a hearing scheduled for September 25, 2025. Judge Martin Chamberlain noted that it was “reasonably arguable” that the ban had disproportionately interfered with the group’s rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association under the European Convention on Human Rights. Rights organizations warn that if the government prevails, it could set a precedent for targeting other protest groups—whether climate activists, disability rights advocates, or trade unions—that future administrations find inconvenient.
As the dust settles on a dramatic day in London, the future of protest rights in Britain hangs in the balance, with the outcome of the upcoming judicial review likely to shape the country’s approach to dissent for years to come.
