Palestine Action Is a Moral Compass. That’s Why the UK

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On June 23, 2025, thousands gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square in defiance of a sweeping move by the UK government. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, had just announced that Palestine Action, a grassroots movement dedicated to nonviolent resistance against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, would be officially proscribed as a terrorist organization.

The decision has sent shockwaves across the country. And for good reason.

Rather than dampening dissent, it has done the opposite. The chant echoing across the UK—“We are all Palestine Action”—reveals the extent to which this movement has touched a national nerve. Something has shifted. A growing number of Britons are no longer willing to accept their government’s complicity in a war that many believe amounts to genocide.

Criminalizing Conscience: What Is Palestine Action?

Palestine Action isn’t an armed group. It isn’t violent. It doesn’t call for attacks or retribution. Instead, its members engage in nonviolent direct action: spray-painting warplanes, locking down weapons factories, and disrupting institutions tied to the Israeli military-industrial complex. Their tactics are bold—but peaceful. Their goal? To break the chain of British complicity in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

This movement was born from frustration. After years of peaceful protest and political appeals failed to halt arms exports or sway foreign policy, young people began turning to direct action. Palestine Action describes itself as a group committed to ending global participation in Israel’s apartheid regime. It targets enablers of violence—companies that profit from the war on Gaza—and makes it impossible for them to operate without scrutiny or disruption.

The UK’s Hypocrisy on “Terrorism”

Let’s be clear: branding this movement as “terrorist” isn’t about safety. It’s about silencing dissent. This isn’t the first time the UK government has misused terror laws to suppress moral resistance. I should know. I lived through it.

In 1981, I was part of the United Black Youth League. Our community in Bradford faced open threats from neo-Nazis. The police did nothing. So we prepared to defend ourselves, even if it meant using crude, homemade weapons. For this, I and eleven others—later known as the Bradford 12—were charged with terrorism. Like Palestine Action today, we were demonized for defending justice.

But we fought our case and won. In 1982, a jury acquitted us. Our defense was clear: when the state fails to protect its people, community self-defense is not a crime—it’s a necessity.

Gaza, Genocide, and the British Role

Today’s fight is global. The weapons killing Palestinian families are made in Britain. The factories assembling drones and fighter jets often sit quietly in British towns—until Palestine Action shuts them down. And the UK government, from Labour to Tory, continues to offer cover to Israel under the worn-out phrase “Israel’s right to defend itself”—even as international law experts point out that an occupying power cannot claim self-defense against those it occupies.

A recent poll showed that 55% of Britons oppose Israel’s war in Gaza, and 82% of them believe it amounts to genocide. Yet the media continues to parrot government lines, and now the state is escalating—turning protest into a criminal act.

This Is About More Than One Group

Banning Palestine Action sets a dangerous precedent. Once this line is crossed, any resistance movement—whether focused on war, climate, or racial justice—can be targeted in the same way. The message is clear: if you disrupt power, you will be treated as a criminal.

But the truth is more powerful. Palestine Action doesn’t threaten public safety. It threatens political convenience. It calls out the systems of violence that Britain helps sustain. It pulls back the curtain on the cozy relationship between weapons manufacturers and politicians. And it does so without firing a single shot.

A Choice for the UK: Justice or Complicity

At our trial in 1982, the jury was asked a fundamental question:
“What kind of world do you want to live in?”

Today, Britain faces that same choice.

Do we want to live in a country where speaking out against genocide is a crime? Where defending the rights of the oppressed invites imprisonment? Or do we want to live in a society where conscience is protected, even when it’s inconvenient for those in power?

Palestine Action doesn’t need a legal precedent. Its actions are already rooted in justice, nonviolence, and an unflinching moral clarity. It is not a threat. It is a compass. And if the UK truly believes in human rights and democratic values, it must follow that compass—not ban it.

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Author Profile

Syed Tahir Abbas Shah

Syed Tahir Abbas is a Master's student at Southwest University, Chongqing, specializing in international relations and sustainable development. His research focuses on U.S.-China diplomacy, global geopolitics, and the role of education in shaping international policies. Syed has contributed to academic discussions on political dynamics, economic growth, and sustainable energy, aiming to offer fresh insights into global affairs.

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