Over 130 Public Figures Submit Letter to UK Court of Appeal Supporting Palestine Action Ahead of Ban Legality Hearing

Apr 24, 2026, 16:39

Introduction

More than 130 prominent scholars, writers, and activists have submitted a letter to the UK Court of Appeal expressing support for the direct action group Palestine Action, days before a scheduled hearing to determine the lawfulness of the government's ban on the organization.

Main Body

Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act, following an incident in which members entered a Royal Air Force base and caused approximately £7 million in damage. This designation rendered membership in or expression of support for the group illegal, with penalties of up to 14 years' imprisonment. In February 2025, a High Court panel of three judges ruled the ban unlawful and disproportionate. However, the government appealed that decision, and the proscription remains in effect pending the appeal. The Court of Appeal hearing is scheduled for April 28 and 29. The Metropolitan Police initially announced it would cease arrests following the High Court ruling but subsequently resumed enforcement, arresting over 500 individuals at a protest earlier in April. The letter, consisting of the sentence "We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action," was signed by over 130 individuals including author Sally Rooney, activist Greta Thunberg, musician Brian Eno, philosopher Judith Butler, and academics from institutions such as the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Yale University, and Columbia University. The letter was published on the website of Defend Our Juries, a civil liberties organization. Several signatories provided statements. Peter Hallward, a professor at Kingston University, described the situation as "absurd and contradictory" and suggested that widespread defiance could render the law unenforceable. Charles Secrett, former leader of Friends of the Earth, compared the government's use of the term "terrorist" to Orwellian language abuse. Neve Gordon, an international law professor at Queen Mary University of London, accused the government of silencing messengers and demonstrating moral bankruptcy. Penny Green, also of Queen Mary University, stated that peaceful protesters opposing genocide are being branded terrorists while the government avoids accountability. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disagreement with the High Court ruling, asserting that the ban was not disproportionate. Human rights organizations and UN experts have criticized the escalating crackdown on peaceful protests, urging the government to reverse the proscription. The signatories risk arrest under the Terrorism Act for their expression of support for a proscribed organization.

Conclusion

The upcoming Court of Appeal hearing will determine whether the ban on Palestine Action is upheld. The letter from prominent figures highlights ongoing tensions between freedom of expression and anti-terrorism legislation in the UK.

Vocabulary Learning

accountability (n.)
the fact or condition of being responsible for one's actions and decisions問責性；責任
Example:Penny Green stated that peaceful protesters opposing genocide are being branded terrorists while the government avoids accountability.
crackdown (n.)
a severe or repressive measure or series of measures against a particular group or activity嚴厲打擊；鎮壓
Example:Human rights organizations and UN experts have criticized the escalating crackdown on peaceful protests.
disproportionate (adj.)
too large or too small in comparison with something else; not proportionate不成比例的；不相稱的
Example:A High Court panel of three judges ruled the ban unlawful and disproportionate.
proscribe (v.)
to officially forbid something; to denounce or condemn禁止；譴責
Example:Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act.
proscription (n.)
the act of forbidding or outlawing something禁止；取締
Example:The proscription remains in effect pending the appeal.

Sentence Learning

The letter, consisting of the sentence 'We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action,' was signed by over 130 individuals including author Sally Rooney, activist Greta Thunberg, musician Brian Eno, philosopher Judith Butler, and academics from institutions such as the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Yale University, and Columbia University.
Reduced Relative Clause: This sentence uses a reduced relative clause (consisting of...) to modify 'the letter', and an appositive list of signatories. The passive voice 'was signed' shifts focus to the letter. The long enumeration demonstrates high lexical density.這個句子使用了簡化關係從句（consisting of...）來修飾「the letter」，並以同位語列出簽署者。被動語態「was signed」將焦點轉移到信件本身。長列舉展現了高詞彙密度。
Penny Green, also of Queen Mary University, stated that peaceful protesters opposing genocide are being branded terrorists while the government avoids accountability.
Participial Phrase and Passive Progressive: This sentence features a participial phrase 'opposing genocide' acting as a reduced relative clause (who oppose genocide). The passive progressive 'are being branded' emphasizes ongoing action. The while-clause contrasts the protesters' treatment with government inaction.這個句子包含分詞短語「opposing genocide」作為簡化關係從句（反對種族滅絕的人）。被動進行式「are being branded」強調正在進行的行為。while從句對比抗議者的待遇與政府的不作為。
The Metropolitan Police initially announced it would cease arrests following the High Court ruling but subsequently resumed enforcement, arresting over 500 individuals at a protest earlier in April.
Participial Phrase and Contrastive Coordination: This sentence uses a participial phrase 'arresting over 500 individuals' to describe the result or manner of resuming enforcement. The contrastive conjunction 'but' links two actions. The temporal adverbs 'initially' and 'subsequently' add nuance.這個句子使用分詞短語「arresting over 500 individuals」來描述恢復執法的結果或方式。對比連詞「but」連接兩個行動。時間副詞「initially」和「subsequently」增加了細微差別。
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act, following an incident in which members entered a Royal Air Force base and caused approximately £7 million in damage.
Relative Clause and Participial Phrase: This sentence contains a relative clause 'in which members entered...' specifying the incident. The participial phrase 'following an incident' provides temporal context. The passive voice 'was proscribed' highlights the action on the organization.這個句子包含關係從句「in which members entered...」來具體說明事件。分詞短語「following an incident」提供時間背景。被動語態「was proscribed」強調對該組織的行動。
Neve Gordon, an international law professor at Queen Mary University of London, accused the government of silencing messengers and demonstrating moral bankruptcy.
Apposition and Gerund Phrase: This sentence uses an appositive noun phrase to identify Neve Gordon. The structure 'accused someone of gerund phrases' is a common pattern. The gerunds 'silencing' and 'demonstrating' act as nouns, describing the alleged actions.這個句子使用同位語名詞短語來識別Neve Gordon。結構「accused someone of 動名詞短語」是常見模式。動名詞「silencing」和「demonstrating」充當名詞，描述被指控的行為。