A SCOTTISH counter-terrorism board found that Palestine Action’s activities fell below the threshold to be considered terrorism before the group were banned by Labour, The National can reveal.
Minutes from meetings of counter-extremism bodies released under Freedom of Information laws showed that the direct action group was under close scrutiny by the force.
But it appears that Police Scotland concluded the group’s activity was well below the terrorism threshold.
Minutes from a meeting of a Scottish Counter Terrorism Board, known as CONTEST, “health check” held in “Q1 2025”, read: “Police Scotland CT Intelligence continue to monitor and assess the thresholds of Palestine Action Groups activity in Scotland.
“The group continue to be active in causing criminal disruption, most notably the damage to the Trump Turnberry golf resort in March 2025.”
Another excerpt from minutes of a CONTEST Programme Board meeting in May 2025 read: “PAG [Palestine Action groups] are extremely active in Scotland, particularly within the Protest Activity space.
“This is a co-ordinated group, which has been known for escalating violence in other parts of the UK.
“Currently within Scotland, this group has been focused on protest activity which has not been close to meeting the statutory definition of terrorism; CT [counter-terrorism] policing continues to monitor their activity and are prepared to intervene where necessary.”
Campaigner Craig Murray (above), who is hoping to overturn the ban through a legal challenge in the Scottish courts, told The National: “The May meeting of the Scottish Counter Terrorism Board (CONTEST) included the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the security services.
“It concluded that Palestine Action were not even close to being a terrorist organisation. This proves what we all know – this proscription was a political move by Yvette Cooper in the interests of the arms industry and the Zionist lobby. We will be pursuing this in court."
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These CONTEST meetings, which are groups involving representatives from the police, local and devolved governments and others, took place after Palestine Action’s occupation of the Thales factory in Glasgow in 2022.
That was referred to a number of times in then-home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to ban the group under terror laws in June.
In a statement to Parliament, Cooper (below) said: “During Palestine Action’s attack against the Thales defence factory in Glasgow in 2022, the group caused over a million pounds of damage including to parts essential to submarines.
“The Sheriff, in passing custodial sentences for the attackers’ violent crimes, spoke of the panic among staff who feared for their safety as pyrotechnics and smoke bombs were thrown in the area where they were evacuating.
“He further recorded the extent of damage to legitimate business activities which included ‘matters of nationwide security’ and disputed the group’s claims its actions were non-violent.”
The proscription of Palestine Action has resulted in thousands of arrests across the UK, with some arrested for wearing clothing which implicitly referenced the group’s name and one man who was arrested for holding a magazine with the slogan “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” on its front cover.
Murray was given permission last week to petition Scotland’s Solicitor General to seek a judicial review of the Palestine Action ban through the Scottish courts.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The Home Secretary made the decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, which came into force on Saturday, July 5, 2025.”
The Home Office was approached for comment.
