UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule

[purpletablet]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/13/uk-ban-palestine-action-unlawful-high-court-judges-rule

Does this mean people will no longer be arrested for holding up a sign saying “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”?

Govt. Is appealing. My very pro Pal MP surprised me by voting for PA proscription when I wrote to her. I suspect there is a lot not bring publicised about them.

Great news! It was shocking that freedom of speech was curtailed in this way.

Mine too, but he is a Labour MP so I assume he was just toeing the party line. I wrote him a very angry email about it. I didn’t vote for him anyway but I assured him I never would in the future.

An absolute shocking violation of freedom of speech. And why? To keep the Zionist lobby happy? The government should be hanging its head in shame.

Recap: Palestine Action wins challenge, but group still proscribed for now

The High Court has ruled that banning Palestine Action under terrorism legislation is unlawful, but it will remain a proscribed group for now.

• Judges called the ban "disproportionate", adding that former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had not fully followed her own policies when introducing the ban last summer. She also failed to account for the impact it would have on the right to protest, they said
• It's a blow to the Home Office, which has said it will appeal the decision. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she is "disappointed", adding that the government's proscription followed a "rigorous" process
• Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori calls the ruling a "monumental victory", adding that the ban will be remembered as "one of the most extreme attacks on free speech in recent British history"
• However, supporting the group is still a criminal offence for the time being. The ban will remain in place until another hearing on 20 February, which will determine what happens next
• So, what does it mean in terms of law enforcement? The Met Police says it will continue to identify potential offences, but will now focus on "gathering evidence" for "enforcement at a later date", rather than making immediate arrests

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c8x90q9nyzyt

Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, said she was “disappointed” with the decision and confirmed the Government would appeal.

She said: “The court has acknowledged that Palestine Action has carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who have taken part in those acts and promoted the use of violence.

“It has also concluded that Palestine Action is not an ordinary protest or civil disobedience group, and that its actions are not consistent with democratic values and the rule of law.”

So ... watch this space I guess to see what happens on appeal. It seems a bit soon to celebrate, for those who see today's ruling as a good thing.

What's the Zionist Lobby?

Good books about the lobbying apparatus both in the UK and USA:

By Ilan Pappe:

https://oneworld-publications.com/work/lobbying-for-zionism-on-both-sides-of-the-atlantic/

By Professor John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Israel_Lobby_and_U.S._Foreign_Policy

Oh look, it's your favourite topic.

And how exactly does Labour Friends of Israel, control the process of designating terrorist organisations?

Mine is also a Labour MP. She is very pro Pal but in no way do I think she 'toed the party line' in voting for the proscription.

This government is a disgrace, they shouldn't have proscribed them - as they were advised not to. They didn't listen, embarrassingly lost the case and now want to waste more tax payers money by appealing.

I am very pleased with today's outcome.

https://greatreporter.com/2025/08/30/zionist-meddling-how-uk-lawyers-for-israel-helped-push-the-palestine-action-ban-and-tried-to-stifle-britons-majority-pro-palestinian-expression/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&amp=1

“Zionist meddling: How ‘UK Lawyers for Israel’ Helped Push the Palestine Action Ban — and Tried to Stifle Britons’ Majority Pro-Palestinian Expression”

Are you claiming Zionist organisations don’t lobby the UK government on behalf of Israel?

How exactly does Labour Friends of Israel, control the process of designating terrorist organisations?

Indeed, with all of the things it's counter intuitive to not ban it. Hopefully, the ban will come through again. Any organisation thats behaves as if property law, breaking and entering doesn't apply to them, sledgehammers policewoman doing their job etc, should not exist here. Medieval way to behave.

The ban remains in place

Well Yvette Cooper the then home secretary who decided in July 2025 to ban the group under terror laws is a member of Labour friends of Israel. The same Yvette Cooper who Justice Sharp said had made a “significant” error by failing to follow the Home Office’s own policy on proscription. The same Yvette Cooper who has cost the UK nearly a million quid in legal fees so far because of this significant error.

The proscribing of Palestine Action has very little to do with Israel. They are a British organisation carrying out criminal acts on British soil. That is why they were proscribed.

Their actions very much on the interests of the'Palestinian Lobby' but when do we ever hear of the Palestinian Lobby?

It seems they were proscribed because Yvette Cooper a Labour friend for Israel made a 'significant' error by failing to follow their own guidelines on proscription, that's according to the judges who heard the case and I think I'll listen to them over a mnetter.

That's a different issue. Where is your evidence that she was in any way controlled by Israel?

Why would I have evidence of a claim that I never made?

And yet the vote on the proscription was carried through Parliament overwhelmingly 385 votes for, 26 against.

So what's the relevance of her being a member of Labour Friends of Israel?

How silly of them, it seems like lots of people need to read up on the guidelines before sticking their hands up. It'd save the UK a lot of money arresting grannies and fighting court cases.