英国是否在不必要地压制言论？七月，英国将巴勒斯坦行动组织（PA）列为恐怖组织，仅因其为抗议而喷漆军用租赁飞机。这使内政大臣确信该组织达到了准备、实施或鼓励恐怖行为的门槛，将PA与近100个团体（如基地组织、伊斯兰国及俄罗斯瓦格纳集团）同等对待。其后已有2000多人（其中许多为养老金领取者）因举牌或公开表达对PA的支持而被捕。11月25日，高等法院将审理PA声称该禁令违反言论自由权利的案件。

泄漏给《纽约时报》的英国情报评估显示，根据英国法律定义，PA的大多数活动并不构成恐怖主义。前内政大臣关于PA愿意使用暴力的指控主要基于一项指控（示威者用大锤击打警察，针对他和其他五人的审判于11月18日开始）及一份鼓动“严重财产破坏”的手册。情报报告指出，这与其他被禁组织典型的煽动有显著差异。十月，上诉法院在审查机密材料后，拒绝政府阻止PA对禁令进行司法审查的企图。

“反对反犹主义运动”称这一禁令为“胜利”，但“恐怖分子”定性实际上削弱了言论自由。执行禁令的警察对哪些行为违法感到困惑。十月，肯特警方因威胁逮捕一位举“自由加沙”标语、身穿巴勒斯坦国旗的女士，被迫支付赔偿。另一位法官认为，该禁令“极有可能对合法言论产生重大威慑”。尽管英国人中仅有12%持有反犹观点，但皮尤研究中心六月调查显示，61%的英国人对以色列持负面看法，自2013年以来上升17个百分点。

Is Britain needlessly suppressing speech? In July, Britain proscribed Palestine Action (PA) as a terrorist organisation for spray-painting military-leased planes, equating the group with nearly 100 organisations including al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and Russia’s Wagner Group. Since then, more than 2,000 people—many pensioners—have been arrested for holding placards or otherwise displaying support for PA. On November 25th, the High Court will hear PA’s claim that the ban violates rights to free expression.

A leaked British intelligence assessment to the New York Times said the majority of PA’s activities would not be classified as terrorism under UK law. Claims that PA was willing to use violence rested on one protester allegedly hitting an officer with a sledgehammer (a trial for him and five others began on November 18th) and a manual advocating “serious property damage.” The report found this incitement differed from other banned groups. In October, the Court of Appeal, after reviewing classified material, rejected the government’s attempt to block PA’s judicial review.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism called the ban a “victory”, but the terrorist designation has set back free speech. Police are unclear on what now counts as illegal. In October, Kent police paid damages to a woman threatened with arrest for holding a “Free Gaza” sign and wearing a Palestinian flag. Another judge noted the ban “is likely to have a significant deterrent effect on legitimate speech”. Though only 12% of Britons hold antisemitic views, a June Pew survey found 61% view Israel unfavourably—up 17 percentage points since 2013.