Ban a Pro-Palestinian Group? The U.K. Government Thought Few Would Care.
Posted on: Nov 11, 2025 21:54 IST | Posted by: Nytimes
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functionary advice provided to the regime forward of its censor on Palestine Action underestimated the significant public protests that followed, records show.
Reporting from London
The British government underestimated the public response to its ban of a pro-Palestinian protest group using terrorism legislation, according to an internal document obtained by The New York Times.
The document, a “community impact assessment” prepared by several government departments and police officials in March, provided official advice to ministers about the likely impact of outlawing Palestine Action, a protest group that has vandalized weapons factories and military equipment.
The group was banned as a terrorist organization in July, putting it in the same category as Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi group.
It was the first time in modern British history that a protest group that does not call for violence against people had been labeled a terrorist organization. The decision has fueled intense debate over the attitude of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government toward protest and free speech.
Since the ban, more than 2,000 people have been arrested for holding signs voicing support for the group, an action that is now a terrorism offense, and police officials say the protests have strained Britain’s criminal justice system. A further wave of demonstrations is planned across Britain next week.
The March assessment failed to anticipate the scale of protest, claiming that “much of the British public” would “remain largely unconcerned” by the ban and saying it would “likely be viewed positively by the majority of U.K. Communities.” The report did note rising pro-Palestinian sentiment and concerns about free speech, but also asserted that the ban would “instill confidence” that terrorism laws were being applied consistently across all groups.
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