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The News Agents

Is Palestine Action really a terrorist group?

The News Agents

Global

Daily News, News, Government, Politics

4.24.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There is a growing chorus of opinion - both inside the Labour party and out - which is increasingly uneasy about the recent mass arrests of demonstrators who have been showing their support for the now proscribed group Palestine Action.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, banned the direct action group under terrorism legislation in July - but since then hundreds of people have been detained for expressing solidarity with the body and its aims. But that decision has been questioned, with Labour members opposed to the move, Labour MPs critical, and even the author Sally Rooney pledging to fund the organisation. Could the government rethink its strategy? Or does it need to do more to explain why it took the action it did?

We speak to Lib Dem leader, Sir Ed Davey, about why he is now calling for a review of the terrorism legislation following the Palestine Action arrests.

Later, as Donald Trump floats security guarantees "by air" for Ukraine on Fox News (where else?), Jon and Lewis take stock on where we are now the morning after the night before that dramatic evening in the White House.

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.

0:09.1

This is a global player original podcast.

0:12.5

The chance of shame on you are protesters furious at police arresting a disabled, blind

0:32.1

protester who was in support of Palestine action.

0:38.3

Hundreds of people have been arrested since the organisation was prescribed.

0:44.6

This group has been staging direct actions in the name of Palestine for months.

0:51.5

In July, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, banned it,

0:55.4

saying it was a terrorist organisation.

0:58.2

Given that it wasn't threatening anyone with violence,

1:02.2

can that be right? And can it be right still

1:04.6

that hundreds of people protesting peaceably

1:08.0

have been arrested for supporting them?

1:10.7

Welcome to the newsagents. Music protesting peaceably have been arrested for supporting them.

1:12.3

Welcome to the news agents.

1:17.0

The news agents.

1:17.8

It's John.

1:18.5

It's Lewis.

1:22.3

And some background on this in case you've not been following it in great detail.

1:24.9

It's only really been a story for about a month or so.

1:27.3

This goes back to July, so last month. In July, the government officially prescribed Palestine action, i.e., they banned it,

1:33.3

as a terrorist group under the Terrorism Act of 2000,

1:37.3

Vett Cooper, citing, the Home Secretary, citing its involvement in vandalism,

...

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