Singer Charlotte Church has joined trade unions and activists in condemning the government’s ban on Palestine Action, calling it a dangerous attack on protest rights. Over 900 signatories, including prominent peace campaigners, have signed an open letter opposing the group’s proscription under anti-terrorism laws.
Therefore, the letter argues the ban on Palestine Action criminalizes legitimate dissent. Church compared it to past crackdowns on suffragettes and civil rights movements. “History repeats when power labels protest as terrorism,” she said.
Moreover, last week, Parliament approved the ban on Palestine, making membership or support of the group illegal. The direct-action network targets UK arms factories linked to Israel.
Campaigners stress that property damage has long been part of effective activism. Angie Zelter, acquitted for disarming military jets, said: “Stopping arms trades requires disrupting business as usual.”
Furthermore, Scottish MSP James Dornan, who signed the letter, recently proposed designating the Israeli military as a terrorist group. Glasgow Trades Union Council warned that the ban on Action erodes civil liberties.
Critics accuse the government of pressuring MPs by pairing the ban on Palestine with prohibitions on two neo-Nazi groups. Human rights organizations argue this conflates vastly different movements.
UCU activist Anne Alexander said the backlash proves public opposition to arming Israel. “People see this as silencing dissent, not fighting terror,” she noted.
With tensions high over Gaza, this ban sets a precedent, as the prohibition on groups like Palestine Action could reshape protest rights for years to come.
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