US designates Palestine Action a terrorist group

The United States has imposed sanctions on Palestine Action, designating the organization as a terrorist group.

The US Department of the Treasury announced it had "taken action" against the UK-based group, alleging its involvement in "numerous acts of terrorism since July 2020."

In the UK, supporting Palestine Action became illegal in 2025 after the government outlawed the group under anti-terror legislation.

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, reacted to the news in a social media post, stating: "As a Palestinian and Iraqi, the fact the country which destroyed both my homelands is calling me a terrorist, is beyond hypocritical." In a statement provided to the BBC, Ammori asserted that the group's activities have "always been about saving lives," and characterized the ban as a "wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and democracy."

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a statement released on Wednesday, declared: "Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear. Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated."

This US ban on Palestine Action is part of a series of sanctions being announced by the Trump administration targeting what it identifies as far-left terror organizations globally.

The Department of the Treasury accused Palestine Action of having backed "numerous acts of terrorism since July 2020, including acts that have physically injured UK law enforcement personnel, as well as acts intended to intimidate lawful commercial enterprises and coerce the UK government."

Palestine Action, known for employing direct action tactics against Israeli-linked arms companies in the UK, is currently engaged in a legal battle to overturn the UK ban. In June, Court of Appeal judges upheld the UK government's decision, ruling it a "justified and proportionate" interference with freedom of expression rights. However, Palestine Action has since received permission to challenge this ruling before the Supreme Court.

In June, four members of the group were imprisoned for breaking into a defense firm, an incident that resulted in over £1 million in damages. One individual received a sentence for causing grievous bodily harm to a police officer who was struck with a sledgehammer.