LONDON, UK - Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have voted overwhelmingly to proscribe the direct-action group Palestine Action as a "terrorist" organisation, placing it on the same list as armed groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
The move, approved by an overwhelming vote of 385-26 in Parliament on Wednesday, has sparked fierce backlash from human rights groups, legal experts, and some politicians who warn it threatens freedom of expression and protest.
The ban comes after Palestine Action activists stormed a military base last month, spraying red paint on two planes in protest against the UK's support for Israel's war on Gaza. The government claims the group has caused millions of pounds in damages through similar actions targeting arms companies linked to Israel, including Elbit Systems and Thales.
Critics argue the classification is a dangerous overreach. Zarah Sultana, a Labour MP, condemned the decision, stating: "To equate a spray can of paint with a suicide bomb isn't just absurd, it is grotesque. It is a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity, and suppress the truth."
Amnesty International UK's chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, called it an "unprecedented legal overreach," warning it grants authorities "massive powers to arrest and detain people, suppress speech and reporting, conduct surveillance and take other measures." He added: "Using them against a direct-action protest group is an egregious abuse of what they were created for."
Outside Westminster, protesters vowed defiance. Al Jazeera's Milena Veselinovic reported that demonstrators said they would "still find a way to show support" even at risk of arrest, with some declaring imprisonment "not the worst thing in the world."
The ban, supported by 94 percent of Britain's parliament, must still pass the House of Lords on Thursday. If it does pass, it would criminalise membership or support for Palestine Action. The group has called the move an "abuse of power" and is challenging it in court, with an urgent hearing expected Friday.
UN Experts Warn Against "Terrorism" Label for Property Damage
Earlier this year, UN Human Rights Council experts urged the UK to reconsider, arguing that property damage without intent to harm life should not constitute terrorism.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the decision, stating: "Violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest. A zero-tolerance approach is necessary for national security."
The proscription order also includes the neo-Nazi Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement, a white supremacist group. Al Jazeera's Veselinovic noted lawmakers felt "boxed in"—rejecting the motion would have blocked bans on the other two groups.
Palestine Action, formed in 2020, uses disruptive tactics against arms firms tied to Israel. This week, activists blocked an Elbit site in Bristol and occupied a subcontractor's roof in Suffolk.
