Palestine Action’s co-founder has been granted permission to appeal the group’s ban at the Supreme Court following a ruling by Court of Appeal judges affirming the legality of the ban.
The legal development occurred after law enforcement detained 77 individuals during a protest near Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London in support of Palestine Action.
In a decisive turn, a panel of five Court of Appeal judges deemed the ban on Palestine Action as a terrorist group to be a justified and proportionate measure, overturning a prior High Court ruling that found the ban imposed by former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to be unlawful.
Expressing her intent to escalate the matter further, Huda Ammori, the co-founder, initiated proceedings to challenge the ban at the UK’s highest court. The appeal was granted by Lord Sales, Lord Leggatt, and Lady Simler, with an expedited hearing scheduled between October and December.
While permission was granted to contest the ban due to a perceived misapplication by Ms. Cooper, the judges rejected the challenge on grounds of interference with freedom of speech and association.
Following the decision, Ms. Ammori highlighted the arrests as indicative of a broader crackdown on solidarity with Palestinians, emphasizing the chilling effect on free speech and protest rights in the country.
Amid the legal proceedings, protesters gathered outside the court where over 2,000 related cases were adjourned to October. Several individuals chanting in support of Palestine Action were detained by authorities, prompting questioning from other demonstrators.
The Metropolitan Police reported 77 arrests, primarily for expressing support for the proscribed organization, with a few arrests related to incitement of criminal activities.
Court officials confirmed the adjournment of all cases linked to Palestine Action until October 26, awaiting the Supreme Court’s verdict on the group’s proscription as a terrorist entity.