Hundreds to defy Palestine Action ban in protest at US embassy in London

Campaigners program Halloween wide enactment days earlier the UK Supreme Court hears a situation to the group’s ‘terrorist’ proscription.

More than 400 radical are expected to stitchery extracurricular the United States embassy successful London connected October 31 successful the latest enactment of wide defiance against the British government’s prohibition connected the Palestine Action group.

Protesters program to clasp placards reading: “I reason genocide. I enactment Palestine Action,” and run radical Defend Our Juries said a parallel enactment volition instrumentality spot extracurricular the US consulate successful Edinburgh, Scotland.

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More than 3,850 radical person been arrested for publically backing Palestine Action since the United Kingdom’s authorities proscribed it arsenic a “terrorist” organisation successful July 2025, Defend Our Juries said.

The timing of the demonstrations is calculated. In June, the Court of Appeal sided with the authorities and overturned a High Court ruling that had recovered the proscription unlawful.

On November 4 and 5, the UK Supreme Court volition perceive an entreaty by Palestine Action cofounder Huda Ammori.

‘Arrested again and again’

Among those Al Jazeera spoke to astatine the group’s erstwhile enactment extracurricular Westminster Magistrates’ Court was Teresa, a erstwhile teacher-turned-activist who has been arrested aggregate times for protesting against the proscription.

“It’s a badge of honour, to beryllium capable to bash this for Gaza” she told Al Jazeera.

She is not alone. Those arrested astatine caller actions see Massive Attack’s Rob del Naja, 94-year-old quality rights barrister Margaret Owen, erstwhile authorities advisor Jonathan Porritt and the Reverend Sue Parfitt.

Why the US embassy?

Organisers privation to rise the anticipation that the UK determination to prohibition Palestine Action came nether unit from US President Donald Trump.

The proscription followed an incidental successful which activists spray-painted Trump’s Turnberry play people successful Scotland. The US president labelled the enactment “terrorism” connected his Truth Social level and praised then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s response.

During the ineligible challenge, it emerged that Trump and Starmer had spoken by telephone doubly astir Palestine Action successful March 2025. Starmer had requested updates from Police Scotland connected the arrests and briefed Trump connected developments.

The US president’s lad Eric Trump besides met Scottish First Minister John Swinney earlier the prohibition was announced, and documents released nether the Freedom of Information Act showed the Turnberry protestation was discussed.

The Halloween protests volition besides travel 3 days aft a proceeding successful the proceedings of the Turnberry protesters astatine the High Court successful Glasgow. Prosecutors are present seeking to person the 7 defendants sentenced arsenic “terrorists”, a determination critics called “completely disproportionate”.

The aforesaid week that the prosecutors made that call, Washington designated Palestine Action a “terrorist organisation”.

Defend Our Juries said the resulting sanctions person blocked Ammori from crowdfunding for her Supreme Court challenge.

Police officers drawback a motion held by a Palestine Action campaigner during a protestation extracurricular the Labour Party’s yearly league successful Liverpool [File: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters]

Growing opposition

This week, actors Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley and Susan Sarandon on with broadcaster Gary Lineker signed a missive published connected the screen of the New Statesman mag urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s authorities to driblet the “draconian” legislation.

Campaigners said the prohibition connected the radical has besides successful effect halted UK income of books by the Irish novelist Sally Rooney, a Palestine Action supporter.

However, erstwhile writer Sarah Helm, woman of National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, publically declared her enactment for Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police took nary action. Defend Our Juries said that exposes a prohibition that cannot beryllium enforced evenly.

Shami Chakrabarti, a elder fig successful the ruling Labour Party, has urged the location caput to assistance the ban.

Speaking to the LBC vigor station, the erstwhile shadiness lawyer wide said it “makes a mockery” of counterterrorism instrumentality and the powerfulness to proscribe should beryllium exceptional and kept nether changeless review.

“I’d amended beryllium cautious what I say, oregon I’ll beryllium arrested,” she added.

The government’s case

The authorities argued that Palestine Action’s run of break-ins and transgression harm astatine defence sites, including those linked to Israeli arms shaper Elbit Systems, meets the ineligible threshold for proscription. The Court of Appeal described it arsenic a covert organisation operating done concealed cells.

Defend Our Juries insisted its ain protests are wholly peaceful.

“This wide defiance and the wide arrests expected to travel volition laic bare the cardinal rights to escaped look astatine involvement successful the Supreme Court proceeding conscionable days later,” a spokesperson said.