The British government has announced its intention to classify the pro-Palestinian organization Palestine Action as a terrorist group following their recent break-in at a military air base. On March 21st, members of the organization vandalized President Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, and just a few days ago, they targeted Britain’s largest air force base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, damaging military planes with red paint.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's announcement on June 23rd detailed the government's legal steps to formally ban Palestine Action by submitting a proposal to Parliament on June 30th. Cooper indicated that the group's actions exemplified a "nationwide campaign of direct criminal action," raising alarms about national security and placing them under the legal definition of terrorism due to the severe property damage caused.
If the ban is approved, Palestine Action will join an extensive list of over 80 organizations already classified as terrorist groups in the U.K., which includes notorious organizations such as Islamic State, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and the white supremacist Atomwaffen Division.
Jonathan Hall, the U.K.'s top adviser on terrorism laws, noted that this potential ban would be unprecedented as it would be the first time a group is proscribed primarily for serious property damage, rather than violent acts. He emphasized that the group's recent activities, particularly the assault on the air force base, escalated their operational sphere into a security concern, which became a decisive factor for the government’s action.
