The co-founder of Palestine Action has pledged to overturn the terrorism ban on the direct action group, either through the courts or “on the streets”. Huda Ammori spoke after five Court of Appeal judges ruled on Monday that the ban was lawful, reversing a High Court judgment from February.
Ammori expressed disappointment but remained confident of victory, stating the ban is disproportionate to free speech and the right to protest. She indicated they would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. Alongside the legal challenge, a civil disobedience campaign has seen over 3,000 arrests, with 117 more outside the Court of Appeal on Monday.
Ammori criticised the judges’ comparison of Palestine Action to the suffragettes, calling it inaccurate. She also highlighted Friday’s sentencing of four activists for criminal damage at an Elbit Systems UK site, where the judge ruled a “terrorist connection” to the charge, a point never put before the jury.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the ban, stating the court found Palestine Action carried out acts of terrorism and promoted violence. She emphasised that lawful protest for the Palestinian cause remains a fundamental right, but supporting a proscribed terrorist group is not protected.
