Cooper defends Palestine Action ban again as 60 more face charges

The home secretary has again defended the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, saying it is more than "a regular protest group known for occasional stunts".

Writing in the Observer, Yvette Cooper said the group had claimed responsibility for incidents that saw those allegedly involved subsequently charged with a range of crimes, including violent disorder and aggravated burglary.

She added that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had assessed these charges have a "terrorism connection".

Her comments come after the Metropolitan Police said on Friday that a further 60 people would be prosecuted for showing support for Palestine Action.

More than 700 people have been arrested since the group was banned by the government on 5 July - including more than 500 at a demonstration in central London last week.

On Saturday, Norfolk Police arrested 13 people accused of supporting the group, after a protest in Norwich city centre.

The Met added that more prosecutions were expected in the coming weeks and that arrangements had been put in place "that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary".

Palestine Action has engaged in activities that have predominantly targeted arms companies since the start of the current war in Gaza.

Cooper moved to ban the group after activists from the group caused an estimated £7m of damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton in June.

The home secretary said while many were aware of that incident, fewer would be aware of other incidents for which the group had claimed responsibility.

Cooper also referenced a so-called "Underground Manual" from the group, which she said "encourages the creation of cells, provides practical guidance on how to identify targets to attack and how to evade law enforcement".

"These are not the actions of a legitimate protest group," Cooper said.

She also reiterated a comment made to the BBC earlier this week that some people who were supporting Palestine Action out of concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza were not aware of the true nature of the group.

"No-one should allow desperate calls for peace in the Middle East to be derailed into a campaign to support one narrow group involved in violence here in the UK," Cooper said.

The government's banning of Palestine Action means membership of or support for the group became a criminal offence, carrying a sentence of up to 14 years.

Last month, the group won permission to challenge the ban and its case will be heard in the High Court in November. It argues that the ban breaches the right to free speech and has acted as a gag on legitimate protest.

Rights groups have also been critical both of the proscribing of Palestine Action as a terrorist group and of the subsequent arrest of hundreds of people.

Amnesty International's chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, earlier this week suggested the response to last weekend's protest was disproportionate.

"We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified," he said.

The UK is not one of Israel's main suppliers of arms but does provide some parts for the F-35 jet - state-of-the-art multi-role fighter that has been used extensively by Israel to strike Gaza.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has also flown hundreds of surveillance flights over Gaza since December 2023, reportedly using Shadow R1 spy planes based at an RAF base in Akrotiri in nearby Cyprus.

But the foreign secretary has insisted that the flights have not led to the sharing of any military intelligence with the Israeli military.