The key facts

  • 25 people detained on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation, with more arrests expected
  • Huda Ammori is challenging Palestine Action's status as a terrorist organisation
  • More than 4,000 arrests since the ban; if the appeal succeeds, charges may be reviewed

Arrests outside the Supreme Court

Outside the building of the UK Supreme Court, police detained 25 people suspected of supporting a proscribed organisation under terrorism legislation; according to the police, the arrests will continue. Footage shows demonstrators lying on the pavement while groups of officers lifted them and carried them to a waiting van; other participants continued holding placards. Euronews reported this.

The essence of the legal dispute

The arrests took place against the backdrop of a legal challenge brought by Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, who is seeking to overturn the group's designation as a terrorist organisation. It was stated in court that, of the 98 proscribed groups, this is the first to have been listed solely for causing serious damage to property rather than for calls for violence against people.

The scale of the ban's consequences

Since the ban came into force, more than 4,000 arrests have been made under it, including 325 outside the US embassy on 31 October. If the appeal succeeds, charges connected to the ban's operation may be reviewed. No decision from the court has been reported by sources so far.