Terror arrests surge to highest level on record following Palestine Action proscription
Protesters hold placards outside the High Court, central London, February 13, 2026LIFT the ban on Palestine Action immediately, campaigners urged today, after official data showed terror arrests have surged to their highest level on record since the group’s proscription.
The government’s data shows 3,034 arrests were made in 2025, more than 11 times the 250 in 2024 – 92 per cent of which were linked to supporting Palestine Action after it was proscribed in July.
The proscription – and by association thousands of related arrests – has since been ruled unlawful by judges in a humiliating rebuke for the government.
The Home Office said Palestine Action arrests have driven a shift in the demographics of suspects, as those detained for showing support were more than six times more likely to be women.
And the average age of those arrested for supporting Palestine Action was 59, compared with 31 for other, unrelated terror arrests.
Police forces faced criticism last year for arresting pensioners and people with disabilities by carrying them away with their mobility devices for holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
The data also showed that 486 of terror arrests last year, 16 per cent of the total, have led to a charge so far, including 412 linked to Palestine Action.
Members or supporters of the group would face up to 14 years in prison under the ban, which was brought in by then home secretary Yvette Cooper.
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