In a significant legal development, the UK High Court granted Palestine Action an urgent hearing scheduled for Friday, July 4, at 10:30 a.m., to contest the Home Secretary's recent decision to classify the group as a terrorist organization. This decision places Palestine Action in the same category as ISIS and Al Qaeda under Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The urgent hearing will explore the possibility of judicial review against the proscription, which was expedited through Parliament and could be enforced as early as the same day, July 4. Palestine Action is known for its "direct action" protests, including spray-painting military aircrafts—a move that the government has classified as an act of terrorism under Section 1(b) of the Terrorism Act due to the serious damage caused.

Palestine Action seeks interim relief to halt the proscription's implementation until a formal High Court ruling, expected no earlier than Friday, can be issued. The group argues that the proscription order would inflict "irreparable harm" on the organization and its public supporters. Their legal team contends that the Home Secretary's rapid action compromises "natural justice," "procedural fairness," and "the right of access to court under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights," effectively blocking any judicial review or representations from the group before the proscription takes effect.

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, expressed grave concerns over the implications of this move: "This is the first attempt in British history to criminalise direct action, political protest, as terrorism, mimicking many authoritarian regimes around the world who have used counter-terrorism to crush dissent. This would set an extremely dangerous precedent, with repressive impacts right across the Palestine movement."

International bodies such as Amnesty International and the European Legal Support Centre have backed Palestine Action’s application, condemning what they describe as the UK's "unlawful misuse of anti-terror measures to criminalise dissent." Additionally, the United Nations has voiced its apprehension, urging the UK to reconsider its "unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as 'terrorist.'"

This case not only highlights the ongoing contentious debate over the definition and scope of terrorism but also underscores the profound tension between national security policies and the protection of civil liberties. The outcome of Friday's hearing could set a precedent for how democratic societies define and engage with protest movements, particularly those advocating for contentious or politically sensitive causes.