A judge at Preston Crown Court has ruled that five activists associated with the group Palestine Action will not be sentenced under terrorism legislation. The decision follows their June conviction for causing 212,000 pounds ($290,000) in damage to a Barclays bank branch in Burnley, Lancashire, during an August 2024 protest against the institution’s financial ties to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
The defendants—Brendon O’Hagan, 28, Amanda Kelly, 31, Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31, Mohammed Malik, 28, and 70-year-old Alma Yaniv—are scheduled for sentencing on September 4. Outside the courtroom, supporters celebrated the ruling with cheers and chants. Dove Malik, mother of defendant Mohammed Malik, described the outcome as a victory for the right to protest and for the Palestinian cause.
In a joint statement, the five activists expressed relief that the court rejected the terrorism classification. They noted that the possibility of such a sentencing enhancement was never raised during their trial, where they faced standard charges of criminal damage. They emphasized that the prospect of being treated as terrorists should never have been considered in their case.
The legal controversy arose after trial judge Philip Parry suggested he might consider a “terrorist connection” for the offense. This followed a precedent set in a separate June case, where four activists convicted of damaging an Elbit Systems site in Filton were sentenced as terrorists nearly two years after their initial protest. At the time of the Burnley incident, Palestine Action had not yet been proscribed by the government.
Raj Chada, a criminal defense lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen, criticized the application of these laws. He stated that while the legislation has existed for years, its recent use appears specifically targeted at Palestine Action members. Chada noted that this application is highly unusual, as it focuses on the nature of the offense rather than the individual, and is being applied to actions that occurred before the group was officially banned.
Since the government proscribed Palestine Action in July 2025, placing it in the same legal category as groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL, more than 3,500 people have been arrested for expressing support, according to the advocacy group Defend our Juries. Many of these arrests involve older protesters participating in frequent sit-ins at London’s Parliament Square.
The government’s ban on the group has faced significant criticism from rights organizations, which argue it represents an illiberal overreach. Amnesty International UK’s head, Kerry Moscogiuri, welcomed the judge’s ruling while calling for the proscription to be lifted. Moscogiuri urged the government to cease the use of sweeping counter-terrorism powers against direct-action protesters and to restore the right to protest, which she described as a critical tool for holding leadership accountable. The report also notes that neither the defendants nor the jury were aware that terrorism charges might be involved. The report also notes that “Certainly, in our experience, using the law like this is very, very unusual and appears to be being used to target Palestine Action activists whose offence predates the banning of the group,” he said. The report also notes that more than 3,500 people – many over the age of 60 – have been arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action after it was proscribed by politicians in July 2025, placing it on the same legal footing as al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), according to the rights group Defend our Juries. The report also notes that one of the most effective tools we have to hold our leaders to account.”, the government should begin the process of reversing the years of attacks on our right to protest.
Source: Al Jazeera
