Palestine Action have broken windows and roofs, chained themselves to cars, blocked gates, walked into an RAF base and shut down weapons manufacturers supplying Israel. They’ve disrupted, embarrassed, and exposed the reality that British firms profit from the machinery of genocide. For that, they now face proscription under terrorism legislation. If the government gets its way, simply expressing support for Palestine Action could land you with a 14-year sentence.
Let’s not dress this up. It’s not about national security. It’s not about keeping people safe. It’s not even about the law. It’s about punishing the effectiveness of protest. Palestine Action hit the defence industry where it hurts—in public, in the press, in the pocket. So now, the state wants revenge.
It’s no accident this comes after Just Stop Oil announced a pause in direct action. JSO caused chaos, yes—but their tactics were civil disobedience in the classic mould. They weren’t infiltrating RAF bases or painting military aircraft engines. They got slammed with harsh sentences, but they were never labelled terrorists. The line, we’re told, is one of escalation. Palestine Action has supposedly crossed it.
But what they haven’t done is hurt anyone. They haven’t detonated bombs, plotted assassinations, or preached holy war. Compare this with Hizb ut-Tahrir UK, banned just last year. They glorified Hamas attacks. They openly called for jihad. They were ideological cheerleaders for violence, even if they never carried it out themselves. You can see the logic, even if you disagree with the ban. But Palestine Action? They’ve taken hammers to glass and spray cans to walls. This isn’t terrorism. It’s theatre with a message. It’s political defiance. It’s protest.
Of course, that’s the point. The government doesn’t fear violence. It fears disruption. It fears the image of Britain complicit in genocide being made visible. Palestine Action’s tactics are sharp, targeted, symbolic—and they make headlines. The decision to proscribe isn’t legal; it’s ideological. It’s about shutting down a political movement that refuses to play by the rules of polite objection.
If they succeed (if Palestine Action is branded a terrorist group) it won’t stop there. It never does. This will set a precedent: that disruptive, direct action against the state’s economic and military priorities can be legally redefined as terrorism. A rent strike. A wildcat walkout. A university occupation. If the infrastructure is deemed important enough and the intent political enough, the law can be twisted to fit. They’re writing the blueprint for authoritarianism under the cover of security.
Starmer’s Labour knows exactly what it’s doing. By targeting Palestine Action, it reassures the arms industry, placates the pro-Israel lobby, and draws a line between “acceptable” and “criminal” protest. It claims the mantle of law and order while siding with Elbit Systems over teenagers on a roof with a banner.
If this goes through, you’ll be able to get 14 years for donating to a protest group. You’ll be labelled a terror supporter for wearing a T-shirt. You’ll be policed not just for what you do, but for what you believe.
This isn’t about terrorism. It’s about making an example. Palestine Action aren’t terrorists. They are a warning, to the rest of us. Keep quiet. Don’t disrupt. Don’t get in the way of capital. Or you’ll be next.
