The crackdown on protest: what the Palestine Action ban tells us about UK democracy

Picture of people protesting holding sign saying 'we are all Palestine Action.'

The UK government, led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, is moving to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000. Their rationale for this move is because Palestine Action have taken to direct action to raise awareness of the war on Palestine, vandalising military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton and causing property damage. Regardless of your thoughts on the issue being protested, this case is a critical one in our government's steps towards limited protest as a right.

On 1st July, two activists were arrested at Elbit’s Bristol HQ for blockading the site and splattering red paint to symbolise Palestinian suffering. The ban proposal goes to a Commons vote likely this week, potentially criminalising support for the group with penalties up to 14 years in prison (the current penalty murder not involving a knife or firearm is 15 years). UN experts and human rights advocates warn the move conflates property damage with terrorism, threatening peaceful protest and contravening ECHR rights.

Civil liberties groups (e.g., Liberty) clarify that the right to protest is protected by Articles 10 & 11 ECHR, though recent legislation (PCSC 2022, Public Order Act 2023) has significantly expanded police powers and created new offences to restrict the right of people to protest.

So what does this mean and what does it mean for me?

• Banning Palestine Action would criminalise even expressing support (e.g. social media, small meetings) or wearing branded items—potentially resulting in up to 6 months imprisonment for iconography or 14 years for support or organising. 

• Critics fear this will deter legitimate activism—affecting fundraising, solidarity statements, or small-group discussions—effectively suppressing much of the left’s public voice.

A suffragette holding a sign up saying 'to ask freedom for women is not a crime.'

Why is protest so important? 

For many people, the idea of protecting the right to protest may seem strange. It may be something you’ve never engaged with, something you’ve been told to stay away from or something in the way of you trying to get to Oxford Street.

But mass assembly and protest have been catalysts for social change worldwide - from civil rights and suffrage movements to anti‑apartheid and climate justice campaigns. To go on, the 1980s miners’ strikes, campaigns on labour rights and the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests to name a few, have led to organisational change, legal reform, policy shifts, and raised public awareness. I would not have a say in the way the country was run (I could not vote) for example, if it was not for public protest.

So, what happens next? 

1. Parliamentary vote is expected imminently; if passed, the proscription will be legally binding—though Palestine Action has secured an urgent High Court hearing scheduled for this Friday 4th July to seek interim relief.

2. Legal challenge: A full judicial review hearing is scheduled for 21st July.

3. Human rights scrutiny: UN special rapporteurs and civil society groups will likely continue applying international pressure and public advocacy.

The laws, and culture around protest is very much up in the air. This case may well turn the tide on what is possible, all while society is considering what feels safe, appropriate, considerate and proportionate in regard to protest. We will be back with an update when Parliament has voted.