US designates UK-based Palestine Action as terrorist group

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The United States on Wednesday named the UK-based Palestine Action group, which has been banned by the British government, as a “specially designated global terrorist” organization.

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The US also issued sanctions against the group, saying the move was for supporting “an act of terrorism.”

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Set up in 2020, Palestine Action is appealing against the UK government ban which has led to thousands of arrests. Rights groups have decried the ban, saying it was aimed at criminalizing dissent.

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Palestine Action’s stated goal on its website is to end “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”

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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.

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Since coming to power for his second term, US President Donald Trump has issued orders for his government to designate what it terms “far-left” groups as terrorist organizations.

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Wednesday’s US action also designated Italy-based Autistici/Inventati (also known as A/I Collective) and pro-Palestinian group Masar Badil as “terrorist” organizations.

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US State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggot declared all three groups, including Palestine Action, as being “violent far-left terrorist groups.”

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would bring “the full weight of our economic tools to bear” against far-left groups.

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“Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.”

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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.

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AFP

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