UK Pro-Palestinian Groups Face Account Freezes Amidst Terrorism Act Investigation
A growing number of UK-based organizations supporting Palestinian causes are finding their financial lifelines severed, as banks freeze accounts linked – even tangentially – to the proscribed group Palestine Action. The actions raise serious questions about the scope of counter-terrorism measures and their impact on legitimate humanitarian and advocacy work.
Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine (GMFP), a group dedicated to peaceful protests and aid for Palestinians, has had its bank account with Virgin Money frozen indefinitely. Despite having no direct affiliation with Palestine Action, the organization was informed the freeze stemmed from an investigation into the banned group.
According to a letter from Kate Green, the deputy mayor of Greater Manchester, to GMFP’s treasurer, John Nicholson, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed the account was frozen “as a result of an investigation into Palestine Action.” Nicholson expressed outrage, stating, “The fact is that this is a bank account in the name of Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, which supports people starving in Gaza, people displaced, subject to settler violence in the West Bank… Our bank account has had no transactions to or from Palestine Action.”
The situation highlights a perceived overreach by authorities, particularly given previous statements from government officials. Both current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and her predecessor, Yvette Cooper, have publicly stated there is no issue with supporting Palestine itself, only with supporting Palestine Action. Nicholson argues this distinction is being ignored, leading to the unjust penalization of ordinary groups. “It’s an absolute abuse for the implications of this ban to extend so widely that bank accounts of ordinary Palestinian supporting groups should be closed,” he said.
The impact extends beyond GMFP. Nicholson, 71, also reported that his joint personal account with his partner, Norma Turner, 77 – the chair of GMFP – was closed by Yorkshire Building Society in September without explanation.
GMFP engages in a range of non-violent activities, including letter-writing campaigns, consumer boycotts, and information dissemination through social media and community events. While the group has demonstrated in support of prisoners associated with Palestine Action, it maintains it is not affiliated with the organization.
The ambiguity surrounding the account freezes is further compounded by conflicting information from law enforcement. While GMP informed Green’s office of the link to the Palestine Action investigation, the police force simultaneously stated it was not directly involved in freezing the account. This suggests the involvement of another law enforcement agency, potentially the National Crime Agency (NCA), though the NCA declined to comment on the matter. Counter-terrorism police also did not respond to inquiries.
The account freezes have become a central point of contention in the recent legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action, with lawyers arguing the actions create “fears and uncertainty over the meaning and effect of proscription, including on broader campaigning around Palestine.”
Similar issues are unfolding in Scotland. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) experienced its own account freeze with Unity Trust Bank, a financial institution that markets itself to “socially minded organizations.” The SPSC’s account was initially frozen on June 24th, the day after then-Home Secretary Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action. The block was briefly lifted after the SPSC informed the bank that its website had previously hosted a donation link to Palestine Action – prior to the group’s proscription – but was reimposed two days later and remains in effect, leaving thousands of pounds inaccessible.
Hussein Ezzedine, a trade union officer at SPSC, stated that Unity Trust Bank confirmed the freeze was imposed by the NCA. “I think it’s important that people are aware, we’re peaceful activists and we’re under attack by the highest force for crime investigation in the country,” Ezzedine said. “It’s outrageous.”
These cases raise critical concerns about the balance between national security and the right to peaceful political expression, and whether legitimate humanitarian work is being inadvertently – or intentionally – stifled in the process.
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