Bestselling author Sally Rooney has declared she will be unable to publish any new work in the United Kingdom while protest group Palestine Action remains proscribed as a terrorist organisation. The Irish writer, famous for novels including Normal People and Conversations with Friends, has been a vocal supporter of the activist network.
Legal Challenge Against Terrorism Proscription
In a witness statement submitted to the High Court, Rooney stated it is "almost certain that I can no longer publish or produce any new work within the UK while this proscription remains in effect." The author explained that if Palestine Action remains banned when her next book is due for publication, it would be available globally but unavailable to UK readers unless she consented to distribute it for free.
The situation arises because Rooney's UK publishers are reportedly uncertain whether they can legally pay her for her work, given the risk that she might use these earnings to support Palestine Action. Following her August pledge to donate earnings to the group, Downing Street clarified that any support for a proscribed organisation constitutes a criminal offence.
Unprecedented Legal Battle
The case reached the Royal Courts of Justice as Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenged the government's decision to proscribe the organisation. Her legal team, led by Raza Husain KC, argued that the impact of the proscription has been "dramatic, severe, widespread and potentially lifelong."
Husain described the decision by then-home secretary Yvette Cooper in June 2025 to ban the group as "novel and unprecedented," noting that this marks the first time a direct action civil disobedience organisation that does not advocate violence has been proscribed as terrorist. He further claimed the decision was "so extreme as to render the UK an international outlier."
The court heard that more than 2,000 arrests have followed Palestine Action's proscription, involving individuals described as "priests, teachers, pensioners, retired British Army officers" and an "81-year-old former magistrate."
Public Demonstrations and Government Defence
During Wednesday's hearing, scores of protesters assembled outside the Royal Courts of Justice holding placards reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." Police officers were seen carrying several demonstrators away from the scene.
Representing the government, Sir James Eadie told the court on Thursday 27 November 2025 that parliament ultimately decides what acts constitute terrorism. He explained that the home secretary had been advised by security experts that certain actions of Palestine Action did qualify as terrorist acts.
Rooney, who has seen two of her novels adapted for television by the BBC, has consistently maintained that Palestine Action is "plainly not a terrorist organisation" and has condemned the government's decision to proscribe them. The case continues to raise significant questions about freedom of expression, publishing rights, and the boundaries of political protest in the UK.
