UK Coordinated Mass Defiance Expected Against Palestine Action Ban Across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Campaigners in the UK are organizing a large-scale protest against the government ban on Palestine Action, a direct action group outlawed after damaging military aircraft. Defend Our Juries (DOJ) announced a mass defiance event with over 1,000 participants willing to risk arrest by holding signs supporting Palestine Action, marking the largest coordinated challenge across the UK’s legal systems. Authorities have responded with arrests of key DOJ spokespeople under terrorism laws, sparking condemnation from Amnesty International and public figures like journalist George Monbiot, who described the police actions as authoritarian and a threat to democratic freedoms. Protesters plan tactics such as 'going floppy' and refusing street bail to complicate police enforcement and overwhelm the criminal justice system. Demonstrations are also occurring internationally, including solidarity actions in Dunedin, New Zealand, calling for sanctions on Israel ahead of the UN General Assembly session addressing Palestinian rights. The movement criticizes governments for failing to take meaningful action against Israeli policies and calls for immediate sanctions to address what they describe as apartheid and genocide in Gaza.