Civil Society Letter to the UK Home Secretary outlines grave concerns over the decision to proscribe Palestine Action
London, 23rd June 2025: This morning, seven legal, campaign, and Palestinian rights organisations wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging the Government “not to propose a proscription order against Palestine Action and cease using counter terrorism laws to punish and criminalise Palestine solidarity activism and advocacy.” Mere hours later, the Home Secretary released a statement, announcing her intention to proscribe the organisation.
In the letter, the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), British Palestinian Committee (BPC), and Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) describe the move as a shocking and dangerous attempt to curtail the right of protest for Palestine.
Only hours after the joint-letter was sent to the Home Secretary, she released a statement announcing her decision to proscribe Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000, following the group’s direct action at RAF Brize Norton.
The letter refers to the UK’s obligations under the Genocide Convention to take all measures reasonably within their powers to prevent the commission of genocide, and notes that the UK has maintained intelligence co-operation with, and arms exports including F-35 parts to, Israel despite 20 months of its war on Gaza.
United Nations experts, leading NGOs including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and the genocide scholarship community, including genocide-focused think tanks, have all concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel is awaiting trial at the International Court of Justice for Genocide Convention violations, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against its leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Palestine Action has used non-violent direct-action tactics against sites that are connected to these very war crimes committed against Palestinians. The letter states:
“Rather than fulfilling its obligations under international law to prevent genocide, the Government is systematically attempting to criminalise and isolate people who demand justice for Palestinians and an end to Israel’s ongoing genocide. This comes at a time when Israel is continuing its relentless bombing campaign against the displaced population of Gaza, including carrying out daily massacres of starving people gathered to collect much-needed aid.”
Numerous Members of Parliament have already stated their opposition to the move, as have civil and human rights groups including Amnesty International and Liberty, who described the move as a “shocking escalation of the Government’s crackdown on protest.”
The full letter can be accessed here:
