UK Supreme Court hears challenge to Palestine Action ban

The UK Supreme Court began hearing Huda Ammori’s challenge to the government’s ban on Palestine Action on Wednesday, as police arrested demonstrators outside the court. The Metropolitan Police said 25 people were arrested on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organisation. The hearing was scheduled to run for two days, November 4 and 5, with judgment expected later. Ammori, a co-founder of the group, is appealing the Court of Appeal’s June decision that the ban was lawful. The High Court had ruled in February that the proscription unlawfully restricted freedom of expression and assembly. The government appealed that ruling, and the Court of Appeal reversed it. The Supreme Court is now considering Ammori’s further challenge. Her lawyers told the justices that only three of 385 Palestine Action actions over five years were assessed by the Home Secretary as meeting the definition of terrorism. They argued the proscription was disproportionate and interfered with protest and expression rights. The legal team also said the group had not advocated the violence described in court, while acknowledging that it could not be described as an ordinary peaceful protest group....