Palestine Action’s Huda Anmoli said Mr Trump’s penalty should be a “wake-up call” for the UK to lift its ban on the group.
The United States has imposed sanctions on British activist group Palestine Action and the pro-Palestinian international movement Masar Badir, as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up a global crackdown on critics of Israel.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday also fined Autistici Inventati, an Italian-based group that provides digital services to left-wing organizations, including pro-Palestinian groups.
Palestine Action is locked in a legal battle with Britain after the British government banned Palestine as a “terrorist” group but rejected US sanctions.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Anmoli linked the US action to the UK designation and called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to lift a ban on the group imposed by his predecessor Keir Starmer.
“The fact that President Trump is drawing inspiration from the British crackdown on the Palestinian freedom movement highlights just how dangerous this ban is and should serve as a wake-up call to those who care about free speech and civil liberties,” Anmoli told Al Jazeera in a statement.
“By banning direct action protest groups for the first time in British history under terrorism laws, Keir Starmer’s government has created a blueprint for authoritarian governments around the world to suppress political dissent and criminalize British nationals who travel or live abroad.”
British civil rights group Defend Our Juries echoed Anmoli’s comments.
“We have been warning since July 2025 that Keir Starmer’s unprecedented Palestinian ban would embolden dictators and demagogues around the world. Today, that warning has proven well-founded.” “The British government has bowed to the arms industry and the Israel lobby while encouraging President Trump to step up crackdowns on civil liberties at home.”
Palestine Action says it is using direct action tactics, including vandalism, to end what it sees as Israel’s complicity in the genocidal war in Gaza.
While such protests may violate the law, rights advocates say the “terrorism” designation is disproportionate and risks chilling free speech.
Britain has arrested thousands of people for showing support for Palestinian action since it was banned last year.
A British court revoked the designation in February, but the decision was overturned on appeal in June.
Palestine Action continued to challenge the ban, filing a case in the UK Supreme Court.
The Trump administration framed Wednesday’s sanctions as part of an offensive against what it calls “far-left terrorist groups.”
“Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their initiatives should be on guard. We will use the full force of our economic tools,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Political terrorism has no place in our society. We will continue to cut off the economic lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.”
The sanctions freeze the group’s assets in the United States and generally make it illegal for U.S. citizens to conduct financial transactions with the group.
The United States relies on sanctions to punish supporters of Palestinian rights around the world. Last year, the Trump administration imposed penalties on UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
Washington also imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court officials, including the tribunal’s president, Tomoko Akane.
