The Social Justice Party strongly opposes the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under Section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. This deeply troubling move represents a dangerous escalation in the criminalisation of peaceful protest and civil dissent in the UK.

The Social Justice Party firmly upholds the principles of freedom of speech and the right to non-violent protest – principles which are now being systematically eroded. Branding activists who engage in civil disobedience as “terrorists” sets a profoundly alarming precedent, especially when the target of protest is UK complicity in human rights violations abroad.

This decision is part of a wider trend under recent governments of introducing legislation that severely restricts basic human rights, including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act and the Public Order Act. These laws, and now this proscription, represent a clear strategy: to silence dissent, intimidate campaigners, and stifle legitimate opposition to government policy. The use of terrorism legislation to effectively ban civil opposition is fundamentally wrong and anti-democratic.

We stand in solidarity with a growing number of civil society organisations, legal experts, and public figures who have raised urgent concerns about this authoritarian overreach. These include:

• Amnesty International UK
  
• Liberty
  
• Quakers in Britain
  
• Palestine Solidarity Campaign
  
• Public Interest Law Centre
  
• Campaign Against Arms Trade
  
• European Legal Support Centre
  
• International Centre of Justice for Palestinians
  
• British Palestinian Committee
  
• Jewish Voice For Labour
  
• Palestinian Youth Movement
  
• University and College Workers for Palestine
  
• Stop the War Coalition
  

Prominent individuals such as George Monbiot, Juliet Stevenson, Frankie Boyle, Brian Eno, and Alan Hollinghurst have also condemned this proscription, warning of its chilling effect on democratic expression.

The Social Justice Party calls for the immediate reversal of this decision and urges all those who value freedom and democracy to speak out. We reaffirm our commitment to defending the right to peaceful protest, opposing authoritarian legislation, and standing with communities fighting for justice and accountability.