The United States has imposed sanctions on the British activist group Palestine Action and the pro-Palestine international movement Masar Badil as part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to address critics of Israel. The US Department of the Treasury announced financial penalties on Wednesday against Autistici Inventati, an Italy-based group that provides digital services to left-wing organizations, including pro-Palestine groups.
Palestine Action, which is currently involved in a legal dispute with the UK government after being designated as a 'terrorist' group, has rejected the US sanctions. Co-founder Huda Ammori linked the US measures to the UK's designation and urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reverse the ban imposed by his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
Ammori stated, "The fact that Trump is now taking inspiration from Britain’s repression of the movement for Palestinian freedom exposes just how dangerous this ban is and should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and civil liberties." She criticized the UK government for using terrorism legislation against a protest group, claiming it sets a precedent for authoritarian regimes to suppress political dissent.
The UK civil rights group Defend Our Juries supported Ammori's comments, stating, "We’ve warned since July 2025 that Keir Starmer’s unprecedented ban on Palestine Action would embolden autocrats and demagogues around the world. Today that warning has proved to be well-founded." They accused the UK government of catering to the arms industry and the Israel lobby while enabling the Trump administration's crackdown on civil liberties.
Palestine Action employs direct-action tactics, including vandalism, to protest what it views as complicity in Israel's actions in Gaza. Rights advocates argue that the 'terrorism' designation is disproportionate and poses a threat to free speech. The UK has arrested thousands for supporting Palestine Action since the group was proscribed last year. A British court revoked the designation in February, but the ruling was overturned on appeal in June. Palestine Action is currently challenging the ban in the UK Supreme Court.
The Trump administration characterized the sanctions as part of a campaign against "far-left terrorist groups." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, "Far-left extremists, their fronts, and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear. Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated."
The sanctions freeze the assets of the affected groups in the US and prohibit American citizens from engaging in financial transactions with them. Khaled Barakat, a member of Masar Badil’s executive committee, responded to the sanctions by asserting that the movement would persist in its efforts. He described the economic penalties as part of the ongoing struggle against the Palestinian people and emphasized their commitment to justice for Palestine.
Barakat stated, "We will not be intimidated or silenced by this action, which once again highlights the criminal role of the U.S. in the ongoing genocide and the Zionist colonial project in Palestine. Washington does not grant us the legitimacy of our struggle, nor can it take that legitimacy away from us. No liberation movement has ever been defeated through sanctions and bans."
The US has utilized sanctions to penalize supporters of Palestinian rights globally. Last year, the Trump administration imposed penalties on United Nations rapporteur Francesca Albanese and sanctioned officials from the International Criminal Court, including the tribunal’s president, Tomoko Akane.