Overview

• During the second weekend of demonstrations against the ban, 41 people were arrested in London for supporting Palestine Action, while 16 and 13 were detained in Manchester and Cardiff respectively.
• Palestine Action was formally proscribed as a terrorist organisation on July 5, making membership or public support punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
• The High Court and Court of Appeal dismissed Defend Our Juries’ applications to block or delay the proscription before it took effect.
• The government cited last month’s RAF Brize Norton break-in and vandalism of military aircraft as a catalyst for the proscription and a wider security review.
• Civil liberties groups and UN experts warn that using anti-terror laws against nonviolent direct actions risks chilling lawful protest and free-speech rights.