On January 24-25, 2026, UK police arrested 86 pro-Palestinian protesters for breaching Wormwood Scrubs prison grounds in London to support Muhammad Umer Khalid, a Palestine Action-linked activist on hunger strike for over two weeks against the group's terrorist ban and his detention. All were held on suspicion of aggravated trespass; the Justice Ministry called the incursion “deeply concerning.”
Videos from 2025 protests (e.g., August Parliament Square, 532 arrests) show elderly supporters—some in their 90s, in wheelchairs, or blind—detained for holding "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" signs, highlighting perceived overreach against non-violent protesters. On the contrary, videos show influencers telling police "I support killing kids" or "I support genocide," with officers responding, "You are entitled to free speech," without arrests. This fuels criticism of selective enforcement between the two.
The UK proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization on July 5, 2025, under the Terrorism Act 2000—the first ban for significant property damage rather than violence against people. It followed activists vandalizing RAF Brize Norton aircraft in June 2025, protesting UK military support for Israel; then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper cited a shift from protest to sabotage. Membership, support, or endorsement now risks up to 14 years in prison, equating it legally to groups like al-Qaeda.
government advisor John Woodcock (Lord Walney)—key architect of the ban, who was also the former head of Labour Friends of Israel; he has taken several all expenses paid trips to Israel—dodged a direct yes/no when asked if such elderly protesters are "terrorists." His evasion of the question highlights the law's absurdity that he himself sees but won't acknowledge.
Since the ban, over 2,489 arrests have occurred nationwide, mainly at solidarity protests in London (e.g., 857 on September 6, 2025; 493 on October 4). Critics, including UN experts, decry the label's chilling effect on free speech; the group denies violence, framing actions as civil disobedience. Founder Huda Amori challenged the ban in court post-proscription.
