Foreign Secretary says government is reviewing Palestine Action proscription amid mass arrests

During a interview at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the government is currently reviewing the decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, questioning its political sensibility. He emphasized that the mass arrests of protesters were not an intended outcome and highlighted a pending Supreme Court case that will address the legality of the ban. The proscription, enacted in the summer of 2025 under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, makes supporting or joining the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Human-rights groups have condemned the measure as overly harsh, and thousands have been detained since its implementation. Recent demonstrations outside the conference saw hundreds of activists arrested, and the co-founder Huda Ammori is awaiting a Supreme Court hearing on the ban's lawfulness. Protest groups argue the decision is political rather than legal and continue to pressure the government for a reversal.