Palestine Action Protesters Vow Mass Defiance Against UK Ban, Targeting US Embassy

Over 400 individuals are anticipated to assemble outside the United States embassy in London on October 31, marking a significant act of defiance against the British government's prohibition of the Palestine Action group. This demonstration is the latest in a series of actions following the UK government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation in July 2025. Campaign group Defend Our Juries has announced a concurrent protest at the US consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland.

According to Defend Our Juries, more than 3,850 arrests have occurred for public support of Palestine Action since the ban. The timing of these protests is strategic, coinciding with legal proceedings. In June, the Court of Appeal upheld the government's decision, overturning a previous High Court ruling that had deemed the proscription unlawful. Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori is set to have her appeal heard by the UK Supreme Court on November 4 and 5.

Teresa, a former teacher turned activist who has been arrested multiple times for protesting the ban, expressed her commitment. “It’s a badge of honour, to be able to do this for Gaza,” she told Al Jazeera, highlighting the sentiment shared by many, including notable figures like Massive Attack’s Rob del Naja, 94-year-old human rights barrister Margaret Owen, former government adviser Jonathan Porritt, and Reverend Sue Parfitt, who have all been arrested at previous Palestine Action events.

Organisers suggest the UK's ban on Palestine Action may have been influenced by pressure from US President Donald Trump. The proscription followed an incident where activists spray-painted Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland. Trump publicly condemned the action as “terrorism” and commended then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer's response. During legal challenges, it was revealed that Trump and Starmer had discussed Palestine Action on the phone twice in March 2025, with Starmer providing updates on arrests to Trump. Eric Trump, Donald Trump's son, also met with Scottish First Minister John Swinney prior to the ban's announcement, and documents indicated the Turnberry protest was a topic of discussion.

The Halloween protests are also scheduled just three days before a hearing in the High Court in Glasgow concerning the trial of the Turnberry protesters. Prosecutors are seeking to have the seven defendants sentenced as “terrorists,” a move critics deem “completely disproportionate.” This development occurred in the same week Washington designated Palestine Action a “terrorist organisation.” Defend Our Juries stated that the sanctions have impeded Ammori's ability to crowdfund for her Supreme Court appeal.

Recent support for Palestine Action has come from various public figures. Actors Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, and Susan Sarandon, alongside broadcaster Gary Lineker, signed a letter in the New Statesman magazine calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government to repeal the “draconian” legislation. Campaigners also noted that the ban has effectively halted UK sales of books by Irish novelist Sally Rooney, a supporter of Palestine Action. However, the article points out an apparent inconsistency, as author Sarah Helm, wife of National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, publicly supported Palestine Action without facing repercussions from the Metropolitan Police, suggesting the ban is not being enforced uniformly.

Shami Chakrabarti, a prominent figure within the Labour Party, has urged the home secretary to lift the ban, telling LBC radio that it “makes a mockery” of counterterrorism law and that proscription powers should be used exceptionally and reviewed constantly. She humorously added, “I’d better be careful what I say, or I’ll be arrested.”

The government's justification for the ban centres on Palestine Action's activities, including break-ins and property damage at defence sites associated with Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems, which they argue meets the legal criteria for proscription. The Court of Appeal characterised the group as a covert organisation operating through clandestine cells. Defend Our Juries maintains that its protests are entirely peaceful, asserting that the upcoming mass defiance and anticipated arrests will highlight the fundamental free expression rights at stake in the forthcoming Supreme Court hearing.