The United States has announced sanctions and designated "Palestine Action," a UK-based pro-Palestine activist group, as a "transnational terrorist organization," accusing it of supporting several violent incidents. Meanwhile, a co-founder disputed this, saying the group's activism aims to save lives and protest against war.
The U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement declaring "Palestine Action," based in the United Kingdom, a specially designated global terrorist organization. This means all assets the group holds in the U.S. or under the control of U.S. citizens will be immediately frozen, and U.S. persons and entities are prohibited from conducting any transactions with the group.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated that this action is part of a new wave of sanctions under President Donald Trump’s administration targeting far-left extremist groups worldwide. She warned that the U.S. will fully use economic tools to cut off financial support until these groups are eradicated, emphasizing that "political terrorism has no place in society."
The U.S. Treasury also accused Palestine Action of supporting multiple acts qualifying as terrorism since July 2020, including intrusions and destruction of UK defense infrastructure and military bases, causing damage worth millions of dollars; injuring British law enforcement officers; as well as intimidating businesses and pressuring the UK government.
Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action of Palestinian and Iraqi descent, responded by posting that it is deeply ironic and hypocritical for countries that have devastated both her homelands to label her a "terrorist." She emphasized that the group's actions have aimed to "protect human lives" by disrupting Israel’s war machinery.
Ammori also warned that the U.S. government following the UK in designating this political activist group as terrorist is a major red flag for advocates of freedom of expression and democratic order. She said it opens the door for authoritarian governments worldwide to misuse anti-terror laws to suppress political dissent.
Palestine Action is a direct-action group targeting factories and companies linked to Elbit Systems, a major Israeli arms manufacturer in the UK. The group previously gained attention for trespassing and spray-painting protests at Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
Earlier, in July 2025, the UK government declared the group a "proscribed organization" under anti-terrorism laws—the first time such laws were applied to a protest group focusing on property damage. This led to over 2,000 arrests in the UK, with some members convicted for trespassing on secure sites and assaulting police officers. Nonetheless, the group is currently appealing the ban at the UK Supreme Court to revoke the proscription order.