US sanctions Palestine Action and other 'far-left groups' over alleged support for terrorism

The United States has imposed sanctions on three far-left terrorist groups, including Palestine Action, according to a statement from the US Treasury Department. The three groups were designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, with assets in the US frozen and financial access cut off. The accusations against Palestine Action include supporting acts of terrorism since July 2020, such as breaching British military facilities.

The group describes itself as a direct-action protest organization. Britain had previously declared Palestine Action a terrorist organization after protests at Israel-linked arms factories and a Royal Air Force base. The US also targeted Autistici Inventati, a tech collective based in Italy that provides tools and services to violent left-wing extremist groups, and Masar Badil, a front for the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

The sanctions were enforced under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, but a High Court ruling deemed the ban unlawful, which was later overturned by the Court of Appeal. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. The move comes as part of the Trump administration's efforts to address the threat of far-left political violence, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosting an international summit on the issue.