Palestine Action Vows to Defy UK Terror Ban, Plans Mass Protests Across Cities

Supporters of Palestine Action have pledged to make the UK government’s recent ban on the group “unenforceable,” vowing mass protests and civil disobedience in response to its classification as a terrorist organization.

The pledge came during a Zoom meeting on Thursday, where the group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, encouraged more than 200 participants to join demonstrations planned this weekend in London, Manchester, Cardiff, and other cities.

“My faith in people like you all is at an all-time high,” said Ammori, 31. “We’re a force to be reckoned with when we act together.”

Ammori endorsed protest strategies inspired by the group Defend Our Juries, which urges citizens to resist convictions of nonviolent activists. A speaker from the group told attendees to expect arrest, suggesting that police “take a soft approach” to conscientious protest and adding that arrests could pressure authorities and undermine the ban.

The UK proscribed Palestine Action on July 5 after members of the group infiltrated RAF Brize Norton and vandalized military aircraft. Under the Terrorism Act, offering support to the group now carries penalties of up to 14 years in prison.

Despite the legal risks, protesters are reportedly organizing through encrypted platforms like Signal. According to The Times, organizers are circulating detailed guidance on how to respond to arrest, including using burner phones, “going floppy” when detained to dramatize the moment, and reading prepared legal statements.

Demonstrators have also received placards, legal contacts, and instructions for the protest in Parliament Square at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The crackdown has already led to arrests. Last week, 29 people were detained in Westminster for holding Palestine Action placards, among them an 83-year-old Church of England priest.

“The Met commissioner is in a bind,” said one speaker on the Zoom call. “He can either double down and look oppressive, or back off and admit the law is mad and unenforceable.”

Ammori, who is of Palestinian-Iraqi heritage, faces a High Court hearing on July 21 in a judicial review challenging the group’s proscription, after an earlier appeal was rejected.

Despite legal setbacks, Ammori said the movement’s resolve remains strong: “If hundreds are arrested under the Terrorism Act, it will throw the courts into chaos. We are not backing down.”

One veteran activist concluded the meeting by urging others to overcome fear: “The worst thing we can do is be scared. This is not only necessary — it’s uplifting.”