A Palestine Action member has described the government’s plan to proscribe the group as “absurd,” a move that would effectively designate it a terrorist organization. Speaking to the BBC, Saeed Taji Farouky stated that the action “rips apart the very basic concepts of British democracy and the rule of law,” adding, “It’s something everyone should be terrified about.”
The BBC understands the Home Secretary is preparing a written statement for Parliament on Monday. This follows a recent incident where Palestine Action activists damaged two RAF Brize Norton aircraft with red paint, an action Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called “disgraceful.”
Mr. Farouky, who has a prior conviction for criminal damage related to a Palestine Action protest, characterized the government’s potential move as a “knee-jerk reaction” and criticized its rushed implementation. He argued that the government’s attempts to reclassify Palestine Action over the years had “never been a tactic that scared” them.
When questioned about whether the group had overstepped boundaries by targeting a military site integral to UK national security, Mr. Farouky explained their objectives. He stated Palestine Action’s “whole reason for being is to break the material supply chain to genocide,” asserting Friday’s incident was an “escalation in tactics because the genocide has escalated.” Israel has vehemently denied allegations of genocide related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
RAF Brize Norton, a key hub for UK strategic air transport and refueling, supports flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which has been used for reconnaissance flights over Gaza. Footage released by Palestine Action showed individuals inside the airbase spraying paint onto an Airbus Voyager’s engine. A spokesperson justified their actions, stating: “Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets.”
The incident, currently under investigation by counter-terrorism police, triggered a UK-wide security review of military bases. A Palestine Action spokesperson stated: “When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action.” A subsequent X post declared the group represented “every individual” opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza, adding: “If they want to ban us, they ban us all.”
While Prime Minister Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the incident, Amnesty International UK expressed deep concern over the use of counter-terrorism powers to target protests. They stated, “Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn’t be used to ban them.”
Palestine Action’s actions have primarily targeted arms companies since the start of the Gaza conflict, including an incident in May where they claimed responsibility for damaging a US military plane in Ireland. The UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation described the group’s actions as having “gone beyond protest to blackmail,” stating they had “started to say: ‘We will carry on causing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage unless you stop.'”
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman supported the ban, stating on X, “We must have zero tolerance for terrorism.” The Home Secretary possesses the legal authority under the Terrorism Act 2000 to proscribe organizations deemed “concerned with terrorism.” Currently, 81 groups are proscribed under this act.
Additional reporting by Hollie Cole