Scottish Greens urge UK government to lift ban on Palestine Action

London — The Scottish Greens have called on the UK government to lift the ban on Palestine Action, warning that freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest must be protected.
Party spokesperson Maggie Chapman said those who marched, organised and spoke out over the situation in Gaza should be heard and their rights respected.  Her comments followed statements by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who said the government was listening to millions of people angered by the suffering of Palestinians.
Chapman said that if the Labour government is serious about changing its approach on Palestine, it must end the ban on Palestine Action, otherwise the acknowledgment would feel hollow.  She also urged the government to ban all arms sales to Israel and ensure the UK is no longer complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people.
Palestine Action was proscribed under terrorism legislation on 5 July 2025, and thousands have since been arrested for alleged support of the group.  While the High Court ruled in February that the ban was disproportionate and unlawful, the Court of Appeal overturned that decision last month, upholding the prohibition.  Human rights organisations and UN experts have criticised the crackdown on peaceful protest in the UK and called for the ban to be reversed.