Radical Professors & Barristers Express Support for Palestine Action Terror Group
The UK’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action has sparked a wave of arrests, with British academics and barristers publicly expressing support for the group, potentially violating the law
The UK government’s decision to formally proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization has triggered a series of arrests, legal threats, and a wave of public defiance from activists, academics, and political figures. On Saturday, 29 people were arrested in Westminster during a protest in support of the group, with charges brought under the Terrorism Act 2000. Expressing support for Palestine Action, including chanting slogans, wearing related clothing, or displaying logos, is now officially a criminal offence in the UK.
The Metropolitan Police said those arrested had gathered near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, some holding signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action". Officers quickly moved in, citing the new legislation. Video from the protest showed individuals surrounded by police, with several handcuffed and taken into custody.
This marks the first major enforcement since the group’s designation came into effect at midnight on July 5, after the High Court rejected an emergency legal bid to block the ban. The judge ruled that public interest in enforcement outweighed the group's challenge.
Academics and Public Figures Defy the Ban
The government’s decision has not gone unchallenged. Several academics and public intellectuals have spoken out, expressing their continued support for Palestine Action despite the legal risks. Prior to the proscription taking effect, a long list of professors and academics signed an open letter urging the Home Office to immediately halt its plans to proscribe Palestine Action.
Harry Petit, assistant professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands, posted a photo of himself in a Palestine Action t-shirt with the caption, “I support Palestine Action always.” Laleh Khalili, professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter, wrote, “I support Palestine Action, even if snitches (based in the US!) try to shop me to the @metpoliceuk.” Kodil Chukwuma, assistant professor in international security at Durham University, published an article arguing the ban “could serve broader political functions... stifling public voices and disciplining dissenting views.”
In the US, Noura Erakat, a professor at Rutgers University, previously applauded the group for “taking direct action against Israel’s kill chain.” Palestine Action’s past events have featured figures like Andreas Malm, a professor at Lund University and author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, who spoke at a group event on “effective tactics to force change.” San Francisco State professor Rabab Abdulhadi praised the group in a past webinar for their work in “direct action” against Israeli-linked businesses, which has included vandalism and burglary.
Barristers Voice Support for Palestine Action
Fahad Ansari and Franck Magennis, two English barristers involved in efforts to delist Hamas as a terrorist organization in the UK, have publicly backed Palestine Action. Both were affiliated with the law firm Riverway Law, which shut down in its current form following an investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The firm is now set to relaunch as the legal arm of a new organization called Riverway to the Sea.
Ansari, an immigration and human rights barrister, has repeatedly praised Palestine Action, referring to its members as “heroes” and posting publicly, “We are all Palestine Action.”
Magennis, a former legal officer at the trade union UVW, has also expressed strong support, describing Palestine Action members as his “friends and comrades.” Prior to the group’s proscription, he wrote, “Omw to the English High Court to join the fightback. It’s a beautiful day to spit in the face of the British empire.”
From the Classroom to the Courtroom
Jewish Onliner identified that Michael Sackur, who appears to be a DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford, was charged in 2021 for vandalism at an Elbit-owned UAV Engines site in the UK alongside other Palestine Action activists. In April 2025, Sackur’s name appeared on a public letter signed by academic staff at Oxford, addressed to President Donald Trump, rejecting federal funding reforms for Harvard, where he was listed as a DPhil candidate.
Parliamentary Dissent and Political Fallout
The Commons vote to proscribe Palestine Action passed by a wide margin — 385 to 26 — but not without opposition. Ten Labour MPs and former party leader Jeremy Corbyn voted against the motion. Zarah Sultana, another dissenting Labour MP, repeatedly posted: “We are all Palestine Action.” Six Liberal Democrat MPs simultaneously voted both for and against the motion, underlining divisions across party lines.
Unity of Fields Picks Up the Mantle After UK Ban
Unity of Fields, an offshoot of Palestine Action in the U.S. and formerly known as Palestine Action US, has taken up the mantle following the UK proscription. In its final statement before the ban came into force, Palestine Action wrote that others would continue its mission: “To be clear, they can not proscribe the TACTIC of direct action for Palestine.” Repeating the words of Palestine Action, Unity of Fields made a post affirming “COLLECTIVELY WE WILL RESIST AND ULTIMATELY WE WILL WIN!.”
Unity of Fields also announced the launch of a new civil disobedience campaign, We Do Not Comply, aimed at distributing legal advice and organizing support for those arrested or facing charges under the new proscription.
From Direct Action to Designation
Palestine Action has made headlines over the past few years for targeting facilities tied to the Israeli arms industry, particularly Elbit Systems. The tipping point came in June, when the group was linked to an estimated £7 million in damage to two military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who spearheaded the ban, called the attack “disgraceful” and said the group had a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage.” The High Court upheld the ban, stating that the government was acting within its powers and the public interest.
In the United States, eight members of Jewish Voice for Peace were arrested last week after refusing to leave Senator Tammy Duckworth’s Chicago office. Two of the activists were reportedly on the 18th day of a hunger strike. The protest, calling for an end to U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, was explicitly held in solidarity with Palestine Action.
What Comes Next
With the proscription of Palestine Action now in effect, the coming weeks are likely to show whether the UK government intensifies its crackdown — and whether this has any impact on the U.S. offshoot, Unity of Fields. The message from the British state is unambiguous: vandalism and criminal acts carried out under the banner of Palestinian activism will no longer be treated as protest, but as terrorism.
😖😖😖 Not unexpected.
Thank you for continuous exceptional articles.