US sanctions UK-based Palestine Action group, calling it a 'transnational terror group'

The United States has imposed sanctions on the UK-based direct action group Palestine Action, designating it a "transnational terror group." The US Department of the Treasury announced the designation on Wednesday, enabling the freezing of the organization's assets. This move follows Palestine Action's proscription under the UK’s Terrorism Act in July of the previous year, placing it in the same category as groups like Islamic State and Boko Haram. A legal challenge against the UK ban is scheduled to be heard by the UK Supreme Court in November.

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Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: we will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear. Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.

The sanctions were announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated, "Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: we will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear. Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated."

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Palestine Action’s activities in the US and elsewhere have always been about saving lives by disrupting the Israeli war machine, which is committing a genocide in Gaza with the support of the US government. Trump has been at the centre of the mass murder of Palestinians, enabling the Zionist regime at every turn.

In response, Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action and a key figure in the legal challenge to the UK ban, asserted that the group's activities aim to save lives by disrupting the "Israeli war machine." She criticized the US sanctions, stating that former President Trump has enabled the "Zionist regime" and is now taking inspiration from Britain's actions against the Palestinian freedom movement. Ammori warned that this designation is a "wake-up call" for those concerned with free speech and civil liberties, and that the UK government's use of terrorism legislation against a protest group sets a dangerous precedent for authoritarian governments.

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The fact that Trump is now taking inspiration from Britain’s repression of the movement for Palestinian freedom exposes just how dangerous this ban is and should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and civil liberties. By banning a direct action protest group under terrorism legislation for the first time in British history, Keir Starmer’s government has created a blueprint for authoritarian governments around the world to suppress political dissent, and to criminalise British citizens who travel or live abroad.

The US Treasury detailed that Palestine Action has "supported numerous acts of terrorism since July 2020," including actions that injured UK law enforcement and aimed to intimidate businesses and coerce the UK government. The group has been accused of breaking into defense infrastructure and military installations, causing millions of dollars in damage to military equipment.

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Trump’s decision to adopt Keir Starmer’s designation of Palestine Action as a ‘terrorist’ group should be the final nail in the coffin of this dangerous, draconian and disproportionate ban.