Palestine Action is said to have created a secret website to recruit activists in an attempt to thwart the Government’s terror ban on the group.
The organisation is directing its supporters to a secret platform under the name Direct Action Training.
Under the website which was registered late on Friday, just before the ban took effect at midnight, Palestine Action has been privately messaging potential recruits encouraging them to ‘join the front line against Zionism’, The Telegraph reports.
The recruitment message, which was sent on the encrypted app Signal, declares: ‘While Palestine Action is banned, we do not want this draconian move from the Home Secretary to deter your dedication to your solidarity with Palestine’.
‘Direct action is for everyone, regardless of the name it falls under. We do believe that by staying focused and targeting the heart of the war machine again and again, the people will be able to shut the Zionist supply chain.’
The website for Direct Training has its IP address in Iceland, which is not a part of any major international surveillance alliances and is known for its strong data protection laws.
To register with the website, prospective recruits are required to fill out a form in which they are asked 14 questions ranging from their personal details to testing their ‘dedication to the Palestinian cause’.
The form also notes that training be aimed at ‘dismantling the Zionist war machine in the UK’.
Palestine Action has set up a secret website to recruit new members, The Telegraph reports
Under the website, Palestine Action has been privately messaging potential recruits encouraging them to ‘join the front line against Zionism’
Metropolitan Police officers remove 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt from a protest in support of Palestine Action, organised by the Defend Our Juries group, in front of the Mahatma Gandhii statue in Parliament Square, central London
The move comes after the Home Office on Friday welcomed a ban on Palestine Action, with the group failing to block its proscription as a terrorist organisation in a late-night legal bid.
Lawyers representing co-founder Huda Ammori, whose father is Palestinian, asked for the decision to be delayed at least until July 21.
The designation as a terror group means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Palestine Action argues it is a protest group that has never incited or encouraged violence, but does support civil disobedience.
Activists protest against the continuing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians since October 7 – when 1,200 Israelis were killed by a Hamas incursion into the country.
Police on Saturday arrested almost 30 people on suspicion of terrorism offences after protesters gathered in Parliament Square holding signs supporting Palestine Action, just hours after a ban on the came into effect.
Around two dozen people, including a priest, professor and an emergency care worker who is just back from Gaza, sat in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament Square on Saturday expressing support for the group, which is now a proscribed terrorist organisation.
The move comes after the Home Office on Friday welcomed a ban on Palestine Action, with the group failing to block its proscription as a terrorist organisation
Activists sit with placards at the Gandhi statue on July 5, 2025 in London, England. Following Friday’s failed legal challenge, the Home Secretary’s order to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group has become law
On Saturday a group of supporters, including a priest, an Emeritus Professor and an emergency care worker, just back from Gaza, sat down in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament Square holding signs saying, ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.
Proscription makes it a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) to invite or express support for an organisation through chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos
They held signs saying: ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.’
Shortly after their arrival, police officers could be seen engaging with the protesters and the Met said it had began making arrests. Several people were seen being carried away by officers.
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square.
‘The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. Arrests are being made.’
They later added: ‘A total of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon’s protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. They remain in custody.’
Campaign group Defend Our Juries said today’s protest will be the first in a series of actions which will see activists take to Parliament Square every week.
The Met Police issued a warning ahead of the protest, stating there are a number of events taking place in London this weekend and ‘anyone attending should be aware that officers policing these will act where criminal offences, including those related to support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed’.
Proscription makes it a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) to invite or express support for an organisation through chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos, the Met said.
It is also illegal to belong to the organisation or publish similar signs of support online.
Police arresting protesters in Parliament Square were met with cries of ‘Met Police you are puppets of the Zionist state’ and ‘leave them alone’.
