Met Rules Sarah Helm's Pro‑Palestine Action Post Not a Crime
The decision highlights how far police discretion can stretch under the Palestine Action proscription, signaling possible limits on prosecutions before a Supreme Court hearing next month.
Overview
- The Metropolitan Police said specialist officers assessed Sarah Helm’s post and concluded it did not meet the criminal threshold, so no further police action will be taken.
- Helm’s remark on the social platform X responded to broadcaster Adam Boulton’s criticism of author Sally Rooney and referenced publisher Faber’s move to stop supplying Rooney’s books in the UK.
- Faber told retailers it could not pass UK earnings to Rooney because of the proscription and will stop supplying her titles in Britain, while Rooney said she will direct proceeds to Palestine Action.
- Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 in July 2025, a ban that has led to thousands of arrests and is now the subject of a legal challenge to be heard by the Supreme Court on 4 and 5 November 2026.
- Rights groups and critics point to Amnesty figures on large-scale arrests and skewed demographics, campaign groups urged police action against Helm, and Downing Street has publicly distanced the government from her views, raising fresh questions about enforcement, free expression and cultural fallout.