London’s Metropolitan Police has said it has revised the enforcement approach its officers will take towards Palestine Action activists and will once again arrest individuals displaying support for the group despite a recent court ruling branding the proscription unlawful.
In a statement late on Wednesday, the Met said: “Anyone showing support for the group is likely to be arrested,” marking a shift from its earlier position following a High Court judgment last month.
The High Court ruled in February that the designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was “unlawful and should be quashed.” However, it allowed the ban to remain in place temporarily after granting the government permission to appeal the decision.
The force had initially said officers would gather evidence of offences but avoid arrests unless additional crimes such as violence or damage were involved.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the change follows clarification that the legal ban on Palestine Action remains in force pending the outcome of a government appeal.
“While the High Court has found the proscription of Palestine Action to be unlawful, it has confirmed the impact of that judgment will not take effect until the Government’s appeal has been considered,” Harman said.
“That means it is still a criminal offence to support Palestine Action,” he added, stressing that police must enforce the law “as it is at the time.”
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Police said the earlier, more cautious approach was adopted amid uncertainty immediately following the ruling but has now been revised after further legal consideration.
The Met added that its policies remain under review as circumstances evolve.
In a post published on X, Defend Our Juries, the group which organises the protests which call for the proscription of Palestine Action to be removed, said: “The Met Police has just stated that arrests WILL be made for the ‘offence’ of publicly supporting Palestine Action. This is contrary to their February announcement and the High Court ruling that the ban is unlawful. Defy it.”
Defend Our Juries is planning to stage another protest defying the ban with hundreds of activists likely to express support for the group on April 11 in Central London.
Following the decision by the British High Court which ruled in favour of the direct action group, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed” by the ruling and the government would appeal.
Continued protest over the ban
More than 2,700 people have been arrested so far for allegedly expressing support for Palestine Action since it was banned under the Terrorism Act 2000 last summer by then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Protesters at mass rallies have held up signs with slogans such as “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
The trials of hundreds of people accused of holding up the placards have been put on hold while the legal battle over whether the group should have been banned continues.
Earlier this month, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said the cases would be delayed until after the High Court Appeal over the ban is heard.
Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Activists and critics of the government have complained that the ban on Palestine Action amounts to an attack on freedom of speech and the rights of uk citizens to non-violently opposed war and genocide.
Since it was established in July 2020, Palestine Action has organised hundreds of protests across the UK, targeting the operations of companies it says profit from Israeli military actions, with particular emphasis on the Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems.
The group had achieved major successes in curbing the activities of the firm, allegedly forcing Elbit to shut down sites in parts of the UK amid continued protests.
However, the Labour government remains of the opinion that the group is not a non-violent group and has conducted activities which are worthy of the proscription status it currently has.
Mahmood’s appeal against the high court’s decision is due to be heard at the court of appeal on 28 and 29 April, and the ban will remain in place in the meantime.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, who brought the initial challenge against the ban, has stated on X: “The ban is UNLAWFUL and we’ll fight until it is lifted. We will win again.”
