The UK government’s decision to ban the pro-Palestinian movement “Palestine Action” has ignited fierce backlash across British civil society, raising fears of an escalating crackdown on peaceful solidarity with Palestine. Rights groups, political figures, and activists see the move as a desperate attempt to silence a growing grassroots movement that has exposed Britain’s complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza.

Far from quelling dissent, the ban has stirred greater public scrutiny of the government’s unwavering support for Israel. Palestine Action’s symbolic direct actions, targeting arms factories and military sites tied to Israeli aggression, have gained widespread resonance, particularly amid a backdrop of horrific images emerging daily from besieged Gaza. Red paint on warplanes, once seen as fringe protest, is now viewed by many as a moral response to the bloodshed of Palestinian civilians.

Ziad Al-Aloul, a prominent campaigner within the International Coalition Against Occupation, called the ban a blatant attempt to suppress Britain’s surging pro-Palestine movement, one that now spans student unions, trade organisations, artists, and even members of the political establishment. “This is no longer a fringe campaign,” he said. “It’s a nationwide moral reckoning.”

Al-Aloul warned that this legal move serves as a dangerous precedent, criminalising peaceful protest and shielding those arming an occupation condemned by international courts. But rather than intimidate, he believes it will only deepen public resistance, as more people begin to question why their right to protest is threatened when it comes to Palestine.

In a country that prides itself on free speech, the British government may find that its attempt to criminalise solidarity only strengthens it.