MI6 insiders slam Palestine Action ban as ‘distraction’ from real counter-terrorism

MI6 insiders view the government’s proscription of direct action group Palestine Action as a “distraction” from real counter-terrorism work, a UK investigative reporter has claimed.

MI6 not happy about Palestine Action ban

Matt Kennard, whose work on UK spy flights over Palestine has received much praise, tweeted that the anonymous insider from the UK’s international spy agency MI6 had told him of mounting internal dissent against the Palestine Action ban.

NEW: A source very close to the senior leadership of MI6 has got in contact. They wanted to make public the opposition within the intelligence agency to the proscription of Palestine Action.

Senior figures are said to feel it is a distraction from the battle against real…

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) October 7, 2025

Kennard said:

A source very close to the senior leadership of MI6 has got in contact. They wanted to make public the opposition within the intelligence agency to the proscription of Palestine Action.

Senior figures are said to feel it is a distraction from the battle against real terrorist threat – and should never have happened. The source has been verified.

Crass subservience to Israel

One X user asked what the hell the Starmer government had been thinking when it banned the non-violent direct action group which targets the arms trade:

Well when every well adjusted UK citizen can see that the proscription has been a total disaster, we shouldn’t be surprised that the spymasters were similarly well informed.

What the hell was the Starmer government thinking?

— David Chapman (@dxchapman) October 7, 2025

Another said to was an example of the UK’s crass subservience to US and Israeli foreign policy:

The proscription is a prime example of crass politiking as well as Labour's total subservience to Israel and America.

— James Mealey (@Jamesmealey10) October 7, 2025

One said that every cop being sent after peaceful protestors would be better used solving serious crimes.

Every police officer arresting a Palestine protester is one that should be stopping a bike theft or investigating a sexual assault. This crackdown has been the biggest waste of public money and damage to public safety in living memory.
It's not "left-wing" to point that out! https://t.co/mKUSKEMUEk

— James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) October 7, 2025

The controversial ban has led to mass protests, bogging down the police in what many see as unnecessary arrests. It has also led accusations the Starmer government is repressing liberties in defence of a genocidal foreign state.

It is unsurprising that MI6 is internally at least unhappy with the Palestine Action ban.

A controversial proscription

As the Canary previously reported, Labour’s basis for the proscription was damage to property, specifically damage to the weapons Elbit Systems UK supplies to the Israeli military.

Yet the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) actually advised that:

In support of its aims and objectives, the group primarily uses direct action tactics, the majority of which would not constitute an act of terrorism as defined under Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000, on the basis that any damage to property is typically more minor. Common tactics include graffiti, petty vandalism, occupation and lock-ons.

It also noted that Palestine Action:

media channels highly likely will only share footage, or encourage, instances of property damage. PA branded media will highly unlikely explicitly advocate for violence against persons.

Moreover, the Proscription Review Group (PRG) advised that a ban on Palestine Action would be “novel and unprecedented”, because:

there was no known precedent of an organisation being proscribed… mainly due to its use or threat of action involving serious damage to property.

So, it seems everyone with any expertise on terrorism was against the Palestine Action ban – yet Labour proceeded anyway.

Featured image via the Canary