As a solicitor from Ireland, seeing this in black and white was chilling: it echoes a dark period when the British state targeted lawyers for representing members of another proscribed group [the IRA].
Deputy assistant commissioner James Harman stated, 'While the high court has found the proscription of Palestine Action to be unlawful, it has confirmed the impact of that judgment will not take effect until the government's appeal has been considered which could take many months.'
Protesters hold a banner in support of the Palestine Action activists who are part of the group known as the 'Filton 24', who were arrested following a protest action at a facility owned by arms manufacturers Elbit Systems and who are currently on hunger strike, during a demonstration in Piccadilly as thousands of people march in support of Palestine in London, UK, on November 29, 2025. Vuk Valcic / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
On Tuesday, District Judge Sam Goozee found Robinson not guilty of failing to comply with the counter-terrorism powers during the incident in Folkestone on 28 July last year. Mr Goozee said: I cannot put out of my mind that it was actually what you stood for and your political beliefs that acted for the principle reason for this stop. He also said that Pc Mitchell Thorogood's decision to stop Robinson was based on a protected characteristic, adding: I cannot convict you.
I'll just make it absolutely clear to you, and I make no reservations about this, if anyone shows support for Palestine Action - an offense under the Terrorism Act - they will get arrested, he said. There's no doubt about that. We have the officer numbers, we have the custody capacity and all the resources to process as many people as is required. He revealed the force has access to contingency cells outside of London if needed.
At the centre of your client's media campaign is an attempt to persuade the public that Palestine Action was proscribed for reasons which she is unable to reveal publicly and which are centred on violence and injuries against people. These claims about the reason for Proscription Review Group's recommendation for the proscription of Palestine Action are misleading in light of open (public) disclosure.
