The US ban on the group is part of a wave of sanctions announced by the Trump administration against what it says are far-left terror organisations around the world.

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".

Palestine Action, which used so-called direct action tactics against Israeli-linked arms companies in the UK, has been facing an ongoing legal battle to get its UK ban overturned.

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.

More than 2,000 people are facing potential trial after being arrested for protesting against the ban by allegedly declaring their support for a proscribed terrorism group during mass demonstrations.

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.

 

SOURCE/AUTHOR : BBC NEWS/Paul Gribben