Speaking to The Observer, some ruling party MPs reminded that 114 Labor Party MPs did not participate in the voting when the ban decision, which was accepted with 385 votes to 26, was made last year.
Clive Lewis, who voted no for the ban decision, said, "Most of the Labor Party MPs who voted yes to the decision or did not participate in the vote regret these decisions today. Among the bad legacy left behind by (Former Prime Minister Keir) Starmer, this decision was one of the most dangerous and would have the worst consequences." he said.
A Labor Party MP, who did not want to be named, said Minister of State for Security Dan Jarvis said, "Peaceful protests will not be affected by this decision." He stated that his promise was not kept.
"It is a terrible overreach of authority to detain people who go to demonstrations or participate in Palestinian protests in general just because they are carrying a banner," the lawmaker said. he said.
Another Labor Party MP said that there was no space for expressing opposing views and said, "The ban decision covers a very wide area. It is not narrow enough to cover only violence." he said.
Another Labor Party MP, who regretted his decision to approve the ban, said: "The ban decision gave the feeling of building something in the sand. I have a hard time defending this vote today." he said.
Reminding that the ban decision came at a time when many MPs raised flags against then-Prime Minister Starmer regarding social benefits, this MP said, "We had little time to examine the ban decision proposal. Moreover, by adding neo-Nazi groups and the Russian group advocating white supremacy to this decision, (Then Interior Minister Yvette) Cooper had prepared a proposal that would be difficult for Labor Party MPs to refuse." he said.
The MP added that what happened at that time caused the loss of trust in the Starmer government.
"Palestine Action does not threaten Jews"
On the other hand, Henry Blaxland, who defended against the ban at the Supreme Court, which examined whether the ban of Palestine Action was lawful, said, "The ban decision is far from damaging the image of the group, in fact it had the opposite effect. The decision literally poured gasoline on the most controversial issue of our time. It was a completely disproportionate response and was unnecessary." he said.
Lawyer Raza Husain argued that only 1 percent of the group's actions in 5 years were banned with justification. Husain said campaigns demanding women's suffrage, anti-war activists, environmental groups and animal rights activists had also carried out similar actions, but they were not classified as terrorist organisations.
In her defense, Rachel Scott, the lawyer of the Jewish Bloc in solidarity with Palestine Action, said, "It is erroneous and deliberate to portray Palestine Action as an organization that provokes and threatens the Jewish community. Evidence shows that the organization targets institutions and companies related to Israel's illegal actions against the Palestinian people." he said.
The group is known for its actions against companies doing business with Israel
Palestine Action, which organizes actions aimed at stopping the production or activities of companies doing business with Israel in the UK, last came to the fore with its action at Brize Norton Air Base in June 2025.
Palestine Action activists entered the base by cutting the perimeter fence, sprayed red paint on the engines of military planes, and left the Palestinian flag on the planes.
Following this action, the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Yvette Cooper, initiated the process of declaring the group a banned organization, and the group was banned in July 2025.
The group called Defend Our Juries, which made a legal initiative to lift the ban, started actions in support of Palestine Action after this date, and many people were detained during the demonstrations.
Thousands of demonstrators carried banners saying "I am against genocide, I support Palestine Action" during the protests organized on the grounds that "freedom of expression was prevented" and were deliberately detained.
It was announced that the number of activists, most of whom were elderly British people, who deliberately committed the crime of "supporting a banned organisation", which is punishable by up to 14 years in prison under British law, exceeded 4 thousand.
On February 13, the British Supreme Court ruled that the Palestine Action group's declaration as a banned organization by the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was unlawful and the ban was lifted. However, the ban was not lifted due to the right of appeal to the government, and the London Metropolitan Police announced that they would continue to detain people who supported the group.
