The UK High Court ruled today that the government’s proscription of Palestine Action, a direct-action group protesting companies complicit in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, was unlawful. The judgment, delivered on Friday, February 13, 2026, marks a significant moment for protest rights in the United Kingdom, according to Amnesty International UK.
Tom Southerden, Law and Human Rights Director at Amnesty International UK, described the ruling as “a vital affirmation of the right to protest at a time when it has been under sustained and deliberate attack.” He added that the decision sends a clear message: “the government cannot simply reach for sweeping counter-terrorism powers to silence critics or suppress dissent.”
The court found the government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization to be disproportionate. While the proscription remains in place pending further arguments and potential appeal, the ruling halts what Amnesty International UK characterized as “a pattern of escalating restrictions, aggressive policing tactics, and an ever-expanding definition of what constitutes ‘terrorism’.”
The implications of the judgment extend beyond Palestine Action itself. Southerden highlighted that “thousands of peaceful protesters – including those involved in the Defend Our Juries campaign” have faced arrest for actions that should not be considered criminal. The Defend Our Juries campaign supports activists facing prosecution for disrupting trials, often related to environmental or anti-war protests. More than 2,700 people have been arrested for holding signs supporting Palestine Action, according to reports.
The case centered on the government’s apply of counter-terrorism legislation against a group whose actions, while disruptive, did not meet the threshold for terrorism. The High Court’s decision draws “an important line in the sand against attempts to narrow the democratic space and undermine public confidence in the right to speak out,” Southerden stated.
In London alone, over 2,000 Palestine Action supporters have been arrested, with 254 prosecutions initiated. While the Metropolitan Police stated they will cease detaining peaceful protesters displaying support for Palestine Action, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that decisions regarding ongoing cases will rest with magistrates and crown courts. A plea hearing for four alleged protesters – Iain Evans, Hisham Alkhamesi, Bea Sherman, and Hana Yun Stevens – accused of causing over £1 million in damage to a Moog Inc. Factory, was postponed at the Old Bailey following the ruling.
Amnesty International UK intends to continue monitoring the government’s response to the ruling and to “expose attempts to erode these freedoms, stand with those targeted for peaceful activism, and defend the right to protest wherever it is threatened.” Southerden affirmed that the organization will work to ensure the government respects both the letter and the spirit of the court’s decision.
