Protest group Palestine Action goes to court to challenge its ban by the UK government

LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for a pro-Palestinian protest group that has been outlawed by the British government went to court Wednesday in a bid to overturn its classification as a terrorist organization.

Palestine Action is asking the High Court to rule that the government erred in classing it as a terror group alongside the likes of al-Qaida and Hamas.

Raza Husain, a lawyer for Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, said the ban was an “ill-considered, discriminatory, due process-lacking, authoritarian abuse of statutory power.”

The government banned Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June to protest British military support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The activists sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker planes and caused further damage with crowbars.

Palestine Action has carried out direct action protests at military and industrial sites in the U.K. since it formed in 2020, including breaking into facilities owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK. Officials say the group’s actions have caused millions of pounds in damage that affect national security.

Proscription made membership of, or support for, the group a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested across the U.K. since the ban for holding signs at protests saying “I support Palestine Action.” More than 130 have been charged under the Terrorism Act.

Dozens of supporters of the group protested outside the High Court at the start of the three-day hearing on Wednesday, and several were arrested.

Supporters of Palestine Action and civil liberties groups say the arrests for peaceful protest ride roughshod over free speech and the right to protest.

“Direct action and civil disobedience are not simply to be tolerated, but valued,” Husain said during Wednesday’s court hearing. “It is an honorable tradition, both in our common law and in any liberal democracy with a developed understanding of the rule of law.

“The suffragettes would have been liable to proscription if the Terrorism Act 2000 regime had been in force at the turn of the 20th century,” he added.

Police officers detain a protester outside the Home Office during a Palestine Action demonstration in London, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A protester holds a balloon animal outside the Home Office during a Palestine Action demonstration in London, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Police officers detain a protester outside the Home Office during a Palestine Action demonstration in London, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Protesters hold banners outside the Home Office during a Palestine Action demonstration in London, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

DALLAS (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars scored three times in the third period to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday night.

Jason Robertson, Sam Steel and Miro Heiskanen also scored and Wyatt Johnston had two assists for Dallas, which won its second straight and extended its point streak to nine games (7-0-2). Jake Oettinger finished with 16 saves.

Colin Graf scored for San Jose, which lost its second straight. Yaroslav Askarov had 20 saves.

Steel put the Stars ahead 2-1 with 9:04 remaining as he pushed in the rebound of his own shot. Askarov made the stop on his initial attempt from the right circle, but the puck was loose on the left side. As the goalie tried to gather it, Steel rushed in and knocked it through Askarov's pads.

Rantanen pushed it to 3-1 as he beat Askarov over his glove hand from the right circle with 3:21 to go for his 13th goal of the season.

Macklin Celebrini appeared to pull the Sharks back within one with 2:44 remaining, but the goal was overturned on review after a challenge for offside.

Heiskanen sealed it with a long empty-netter 25 seconds later.

Robertson gave the Stars a 1-0 lead with 5:40 left in the first as he knocked in a rebound into an open net from the left side. Askarov made the stop on Wyatt Johnston’s one-timer from the slot, but the puck went up and off the crossbar and dropped on the ice on the left side, where Robertson gathered it and backhanded it in for his 18th.

Graf tied it 1-1 as he scored 8:23 into the second on a rebound after Nick Leddy's shot was blocked in front. It came on the Sharks' fifth shot on goal of the game.

Sharks: At Carolina on Sunday.

Stars: Host Pittsburgh on Sunday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

San Jose Sharks right wing Collin Graf (51) scores against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) takes control of the puck as San Jose Sharks center Will Smith (2) skates up during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) defends against Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates his goal with teammates Vladislav Kolyachonok (44) and Sam Steel (18) as San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) sits nearby during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)