Pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action on Friday sought to block the British government’s decision to ban the organization under anti-terrorism laws, following a high-profile incident in which activists broke into a military base and vandalized two planes.
The ban, which was approved by Parliament earlier this week, is scheduled to take effect at midnight. Once in force, membership in the group or support for its actions will be considered a criminal offense, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Raza Husain, a lawyer representing Palestine Action co-founders Huda Ammori, argued against the decision in court on Friday. “My client had never encouraged harm to any person at all,” Husain told the court.
He also read a statement from Ammori, saying: “We ask you, in the first instance, to suspend until July 21 what we say is an ill-considered, discriminatory and authoritarian abuse of statutory power which is alien to the basic tradition of the common law and is contrary to the Human Rights Act."
Justice Martin Chamberlain is expected to announce his decision at the conclusion of Friday’s hearing.
The British government’s move to ban the group follows a break-in at the Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton last month, where activists damaged two military planes using red paint and crowbars.
The protest targeted the UK government’s continued military support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Authorities estimated the damage at approximately 7 million pounds ($9.4 million), and four people have been charged in connection with the incident.
The suspects, aged between 22 and 35, face charges of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the United Kingdom.
During a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, no pleas were entered. The four are scheduled to appear before the Central Criminal Court on July 18.
Following the break-in, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. She described the vandalism of the military aircraft as “disgraceful” and added that the group had a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage.”
BP English/ARK
