The United States designated the UK-based Palestine Action group as a terrorist group on Wednesday, announcing a wave of economic sanctions under the Trump administration targeting far-left terror organisations globally.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury named the British group as a specially designated global terrorist organization, following its proscription by the UK government in 2025. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Washington would use its full economic authority to target such movements.
U.S. Treasury Sanctions and the Push Against Far-Left Groups
The sanctions freeze any assets belonging to Palestine Action held within the United States or under the control of U.S. citizens. Alongside Palestine Action, the U.S. State Department designated Italy-based Autistici/Inventati (also known as A/I Collective) and the pro-Palestinian group Masar Badil as “terrorist” organizations. U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggot declared all three groups as being violent far-left terrorist groups.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Autistici/Inventati as a major far-left tech collective whose services are used by the most active and violent Antifa cells in the United States and across the world. Rubio added: There will be no refuge for violent extremists who wage war on our civilization and plot to undermine law and order, destroy critical infrastructure, assault political opponents, or conspire to conceal their crimes from authorities.
“Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear. Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.”
Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury Secretary
The Department of Treasury accused Palestine Action of having supported numerous acts of terrorism since July 2020, including acts that have physically injured UK law enforcement personnel, as well as acts intended to intimidate lawful commercial enterprises and coerce the UK government.
Set up in 2020, Palestine Action is appealing against the UK government ban, which has led to thousands of arrests. Palestine Action’s stated goal on its website is to end global participation in Israel's genocidal and apartheid regime. It gained visibility after Israel launched a devastating military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack by fighters from Palestinian group Hamas in southern Israel.
Supporting Palestine Action became illegal in the UK in 2025 after the government banned it under anti-terror legislation. That domestic ban triggered mass demonstrations, with more than 2,000 people facing potential trial after being arrested for protesting against the ban by allegedly declaring their support for a proscribed terrorism group. In June, Court of Appeal judges ruled the UK government made a justified and proportionate interference on freedom of expression rights, but Palestine Action has since been given permission to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
Separately, four of its members were jailed in June for a break-in at a defence firm that caused more than £1m worth of damage, with one person sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm on a police officer who was hit with a sledgehammer.
Leadership Response to International Designations
As a Palestinian and Iraqi, the fact the country which destroyed both my homelands is calling me a terrorist, is beyond hypocritical. Huda
“Palestine Action’s activities in the US and elsewhere have always been about saving lives by disrupting the Israeli war machine, which is committing a genocide in Gaza with the support of the US Government.”
Palestine Action wins High Court challenge over group's ban as terrorist organisation
In a statement to the BBC, Ammori said the group’s actions had always been about saving lives, adding the ban should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and democracy. Ammori also said the UK ban and US terror designation should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and civil liberties. Rights groups have decried the ban, saying it was aimed at criminalizing dissent. In April, Amnesty International declared that the leaders of the United States, Israel and Russia were seeking to impose a new “predatory” world order in their crackdowns on dissent.
