UK ban on pro-Palestine group under scrutiny in court

The British government's decision to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation will be challenged in court on Wednesday, with lawyers representing a co-founder arguing it is a misuse of anti-terrorism laws.



Palestine Action was proscribed in July, putting it on a par with Islamic State or al Qaeda and making it a crime to be a member, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.



The group had increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain with 'direct action', often blocking entrances, smashing windows or spraying red paint at businesses.



Britain's Home Office, or interior ministry, moved to ban the group after an escalating series of actions, culminating in a June break-in at the RAF Brize Norton air base when activists damaged two planes.



Critics of the ban, however, argue acts of protest which damage property do not amount to terrorism and the move curtails protest rights.