Palestine Action, a UK-based protest group known for its direct-action tactics targeting the arms industry, is now at the centre of controversy after being formally proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK Parliament. This move places the group in the same legal category as global militant outfits, sparking concerns about the future of protest rights in the country.
The decision to outlaw the group came shortly after one of its most high-profile actions — an infiltration of RAF Brize Norton, the UK’s largest airbase. Activists breached the airfield using electric scooters and defaced two military aircraft with red paint. These planes, used for air-to-air refuelling, were claimed to be linked to UK and Israeli military cooperation. The incident, which caused millions of pounds in damage, drew condemnation from senior government officials and fast-tracked efforts to proscribe the organisation.
Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has carried out hundreds of actions aimed at disrupting companies linked to Israeli military operations, particularly the arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. Their actions have included occupations, vandalism, and the use of red paint to symbolise bloodshed. The group has targeted factories, offices, and even government buildings across the UK.
Among the group’s earliest campaigns was a sustained effort against Elbit’s Ferranti site in Oldham. Repeated break-ins and occupations culminated in the facility’s closure in 2022 — a result the group celebrated as a major win. They also staged an extended rooftop protest at Elbit’s Leicester drone factory in 2021, which resulted in several arrests but ultimately saw the activists acquitted.
Throughout 2022, their actions intensified. Activists blockaded an Elbit site in Braunstone, while others caused over £1 million in damage at a Thales UK factory in Glasgow. Some of those involved were jailed for the destruction. The following year saw the group broaden its targets. In response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza in late 2023, they escalated their operations, protesting at media organisations and multinational arms firms including Lockheed Martin and Leonardo.
Their protest methods extended to symbolic gestures as well. In 2024, activists defaced a statue of former Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour inside the House of Commons and vandalised the Ministry of Defence building with red paint. These acts were meant to highlight historical and ongoing UK involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The group also expanded abroad, establishing a presence in the United States. Its US branch staged an occupation of an Elbit facility in New Hampshire, furthering its campaign beyond British borders.
The UK government argues that Palestine Action’s methods cross the line into criminality and terrorism, particularly because of the scale of property damage and the targeting of military assets. The proscription means that membership, support, or promotion of the group could now result in criminal charges.
In response, the group insists that their actions are acts of civil disobedience in pursuit of justice, not terrorism. They argue the ban is a dangerous attempt to criminalise legitimate protest and silence dissent against UK complicity in foreign conflicts. The proscription is currently being challenged in court.
