Four times as many people have been charged in the UK under Section 13 counterterrorism powers since Palestine Action was proscribed in July than during the entire "war on terror" since 2001, Middle East Eye can reveal.
At least 138 people have been charged so far, following weeks of protests in London and other cities, in which hundreds of people have been arrested for opposing the ban on the direct-action protest group.
Statistics published by the Home Office on Thursday reveal that just 34 people were charged with offences under Section 13 of the 2000 Terrorism Act between 2001 and the end of June 2025, days before Palestine Action was added to the government’s list of designated terrorist organisations.
The shocking figures appear to raise further questions about the proportionality of the ban, which has been widely condemned by human rights and civil liberties organisations.
Section 13, which prohibits the display or wearing of symbols of support for proscribed organisations, has been the main power used by London’s Metropolitan Police against protesters attending demonstrations against the ban outside parliament organised by the campaign group Defend Our Juries.
