London’s Met Police relaxed the arrests after the High Court ruled that the ban on Palestine action was unlawful.
Published on 26 March 2026
London’s Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone showing support for Palestine action is now “likely to be arrested”, with the force saying it will not do so.
Police said in February they would refrain from arresting supporters following a High Court ruling that the ban on Palestine Action as a terrorist group was unlawful.
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But on Thursday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the Met had reviewed its stance following a court decision to allow the government to appeal that decision.
“Although the High Court has found the prohibition of Palestine action unlawful, it has confirmed that that decision will not take effect until the government’s appeal is considered, which could take several months,” Harman said. “This means that supporting Palestine action is still a criminal offence.”
Harman said that police “must enforce the law as it is now, not as something that might happen in the future” and that continued enforcement is “likely to include arrests of those who commit crimes” where support for the group is displayed.
Earlier on Thursday, several Palestine Action activists who were released on bail last month spoke at a press conference about life in prison and the lasting effects on their health after a lengthy prison hunger strike.
In June, the Labour-led UK government banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism law, placing the group in the same legal category as armed organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIL, and making it a criminal offense to be a member of or publicly support the group.
The decision came shortly after activists vandalized a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire and sprayed red paint on military aircraft. Palestine Action claimed the incident.
In February, the High Court ruled that the government’s designation of Palestine Action as a “terrorist group” was unlawful and disproportionate.
Following that decision, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she intended to challenge the decision in the Court of Appeal.
Since being founded in July 2020, Palestine Action (PA) has organized hundreds of protests across the UK, targeting the operations of companies that profit from Israeli military actions, with a particular emphasis on Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems.
Over the past year, the ban has sparked numerous legal challenges, drawn criticism from human rights groups and prompted protests, amid warnings that the measure represents a drastic overreach that has criminalized legitimate political dissent.
Thousands of peaceful protesters holding placards have been arrested in cases related to alleged support for Palestine action.
