UK's Palestine Action bids to pause government ban

Pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action's co-founder on Friday asked a London court to pause the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, with her lawyers arguing the move was an "authoritarian abuse" of the law. British lawmakers decided to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation this week, in response to its activists breaking into a military base and damaging two planes in protest at what it says is Britain's support for Israel.

Proscription would officially designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, on a par with Islamic State or al Qaeda, making it a crime to support or belong to the groups. Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain with direct action, but critics of the government's move say property damage should not be equated with terrorism.

Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London's High Court to pause the group's proscription – which comes into force at midnight – pending a full legal challenge due to be heard later this month. Her lawyer Raza Husain told London's High Court: "This is the first time in our history that a direct action, civil disobedience group which does not advocate for violence has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists."

Husain described the government's decision as "an ill-considered, discriminatory, authoritarian abuse of statutory power that is alien to the basic tradition of the common law".

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