Lawyers tell UK Supreme Court Palestine Action ban undermined confidence in anti-terror laws

The UK Supreme Court is hearing a legal challenge to the proscription of Palestine Action, with lawyers for co-founder Huda Ammori arguing the ban has caused a crisis of confidence in anti-terrorism laws. Twenty-seven protesters were arrested outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the hearing took place, the Metropolitan Police said. Since the group was proscribed, more than 4,000 people have been arrested at protests where people held signs supporting Palestine Action, according to Home Office figures seen by the BBC, and prosecutors have authorised 1,200 charges. Those trials are on hold until the case is decided. Lawyers said only three of 385 incidents assessed by the Home Secretary were offences under the Terrorism Act, and that the group was proscribed based on less than one per cent of its actions over five years. Ammori's legal team acknowledged Palestine Action is not an ordinary peaceful protest group, citing occupations and vandalism of firms linked to Israel's military, including at least two break-ins at defence firms described in criminal courts as causing millions in damage.