Palestine Action is a British direct-action group established in 2020 that targets defence manufacturers it says assist Israel's war in Gaza.
In July 2025 Yvette Cooper, Britain's home secretary, proscribed the group as a terrorist organisation—the first time Britain's anti-terror laws had been used against a group that primarily targets property rather than people. Jonathan Hall KC, the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, argued the case rested on the high degree of damage, the impact on national security and activists' willingness to resort to violence. Critics called the proscription a disproportionate use of powers designed to target IRA bombers.
A British intelligence assessment leaked to the New York Times said a "majority of the group's activity would not be classified as terrorism" under Britain's legal definition. Claims that PA was willing to use violence appeared to rest on one allegation—that a protester struck an officer with a sledgehammer—and on a manual that urged "serious property damage". In October 2025 the Court of Appeal rejected the government's attempt to block PA's judicial review of the ban.
Since the ban, more than 2,000 people have been arrested for displaying support for the group. A judge considering the judicial review observed that the proscription was "likely to have a significant deterrent effect on legitimate speech".
"Given the choice between accomplishing something and just lying around, I'd rather lie around. No contest."