30 June 2025 – English PEN, Scottish PEN, Wales PEN Cymru and PEN International are deeply concerned by the UK government’s proposal to proscribe the protest group Palestine Action under terrorism legislation. We urge the authorities to reconsider this step and to ensure full respect for the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
As organisations committed to defending the freedom to write, speak and protest without fear, we view this development with particular alarm. The use of anti-terrorism powers to target a protest group — however disruptive its tactics may be — marks a dangerous departure from the principles that underpin a society based on respect for fundamental rights. While unlawful conduct should be addressed under the criminal law, using the exceptional powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 risks criminalising political expression and setting a troubling precedent for how dissent is treated in the UK.
Proscription under the Terrorism Act carries sweeping consequences. It becomes a criminal offence to support or express support for a proscribed group, potentially including statements on social media or attendance at public events. Writers, artists, academics and others who speak out on matters of public concern may find themselves at risk of arrest or prosecution — not for acts of violence or incitement, but for association with ideas or causes deemed controversial. That is a serious threat to the space for open debate and civil dissent.
Terrorism legislation must be used only where strictly necessary and proportionate, in accordance with the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. Based on publicly available information, the threshold for proscription — namely, that an organisation is ‘concerned in terrorism’ — does not appear to have been met in this case.
The implications extend far beyond any one group. If proscription is used to silence protest movements, there is a real risk that other campaigners — whether working on climate, racial justice, human rights or other causes — could face similar treatment.
We call on the government to refrain from proscribing Palestine Action and to ensure that counter-terrorism laws are not misused to suppress legitimate expression or protest. We also urge Parliament to scrutinise the broader implications of this proposed action for the rule of law in the UK.
Signed
English PEN
Scottish PEN
Wales PEN Cymru
PEN International