Ammori contended that the Home Office’s decision excessively impeded freedom of expression and assembly, which the court agreed with. Judges also noted that the ban was inconsistent with the government’s policy to restrict declaring groups as terrorist organizations.
“The nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities falling within the definition of terrorism had not yet reached the level, scale, and persistence to warrant proscription,” the summary stated.
However, Judge Sharp indicated that the ban will remain in place until further court order “pending the possibility of an appeal.” The judgment noted that Palestine Action engaged in acts “amounting to terrorism,” was not a “standard protest group,” and aimed to “encourage the use of violence.”
The ban on Palestine Action was the first of its kind on a direct action group, placing it alongside organizations like Islamic State, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda. In June, Palestine Action had previously broken into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military jets.
Since the proscription, over 2,700 individuals have been arrested, and hundreds charged in a civil disobedience campaign in support of the group, as reported by the Defend Our Juries group.
In a statement, Ammori described the verdict as a “monumental victory both for our fundamental freedoms in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people,” arguing the ban was a “Trumpian abuse of power which would have seen this Labour government proscribe the Suffragettes.”
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