Is direct action for Palestine 'terrorism'? The UK says it is
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 10 July 2025
⏱️ 21 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The UK has outlawed Palestine Action, grouping it with ISIL and al-Qaeda. Supporters of the group now risk up to 14 years in prison, and arrests of protesters opposed to the listing have already begun. What does the decision reveal about the UK’s approach to protest and civil disobedience, and how might it reshape the wider Palestine solidarity movement?
In this episode:
- Hil Aked, (@hil_aked), Author and Organizer
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Tamara Khandaker and Noor Wazwaz with Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Marya Khan and our guest host, Manuel Rapalo. It was edited by Sarí el-Khalili.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, when one person's protest movement is a government's quote, terrorist group. |
| 0:17.0 | For now, Palestine Action joins 81 other organizations that are prescribed in the UK, |
| 0:23.6 | including Hamas, Al-Qaeda, and the neo-Nazi group National Action. |
| 0:29.6 | What direct action and protesting for Palestine mean now in the UK? |
| 0:35.6 | I'm Manuel Rappalo, and this is the take. |
| 0:45.1 | This week, the UK designated Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian direct action group as a terrorist |
| 0:56.8 | organization. |
| 0:59.1 | Dozens also supporting Palestine action have been arrested. |
| 1:04.1 | I think it's crazy that our government is trying to enlist them as terrorists. |
| 1:09.9 | There's people in prison now, some of them that I've met while I was in prison, |
| 1:12.6 | who are facing terrorist charges in a long time inside, and they're peaceful protesters. |
| 1:17.6 | We've tried the big marches, we've tried to petitions, we've tried lobbying our MPs, |
| 1:20.6 | and we know that it's not in their interest to stop this. |
| 1:23.6 | They benefit from it, they support it, and they're not going to just grow a conscience all of a sudden. |
| 1:29.4 | Every brick that falls from our base, from our foundation of freedom is something that's scary, so we're going to fight against it. |
| 1:39.5 | To talk us through all of this, we're joined by a writer and activist for Palestine in the UK. |
| 1:48.8 | My name's Hill Aikid. I'm an author and an organizer based in London, UK. |
| 1:55.2 | Hill, welcome to the take. On Friday, the pro-Palestine activist group, Palestine Action, was designated as a terrorist organization. |
| 2:05.7 | What is your response to the UK government's decision to officially prescribe Palestine action as a terrorist group? |
| 2:14.6 | So I think it's worth pointing out that this was an unprecedented step by the |
| 2:19.8 | British government to prescribe as a terrorist organization a group which has engaged in |
... |
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