US Designates UK-Based Palestine Action as Terrorist Organization

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the move Wednesday, citing Executive Order 13224—a post-9/11 directive initially intended to combat global terror networks. The administration’s designation effectively criminalizes financial support for the group and threatens US-based activists with potential visa bans or prosecution for association. The Treasury also sanctioned the Italy-based digital service provider Autistici Inventati and the group Masar Badil as part of a broader crackdown on left-wing political organizing.

Chip Gibbons, policy director for Defending Rights and Dissent, warned the designation sets a dangerous precedent by equating civil disobedience with groups like al-Qaeda. He argued the move is less about national security and more about retaliating against political viewpoints the administration opposes. While US officials allege the group has engaged in acts of violence against UK law enforcement and commercial targets, organizers maintain their mission is to disrupt the supply chain for Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The designation follows a summer of warnings from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House adviser Stephen Miller regarding a shift in counterterrorism doctrine. The administration has explicitly targeted what it labels 'left-wing extremists,' signaling a heightened strategy to curb domestic and international dissent. Despite these mounting pressures, Palestine Action continues to face legal battles in the UK, where organizers recently secured a court ruling allowing them to challenge the British government’s own proscription of the group.