PA activists face ‘terror’ charges over Trump golf resort protest: Report

What the report says

Seven Palestine Action activists face charges in Scotland over a protest at Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing The Guardian and The New York Times. The case stems from a March 8, 2025 action in which protesters sprayed red paint, dug up turf, damaged sprinklers and used weedkiller on the course, while also leaving the slogan “Gaza is not 4 sale.”

The activists have been charged with malicious damage, but the prosecution’s indictment reportedly says the offences were aggravated by a terrorist connection. That designation could expose them to harsher sentencing, though the exact legal outcome will be decided in court. An initial hearing is scheduled at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday, August 31.

Palestine Action has been fighting the UK government since it was proscribed as a terrorist organisation last year. The group’s cofounder, Huda Ammori, said the charges show authorities are trying to appease Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; those remarks were included in the report. Separately, U.S. authorities this week imposed sanctions on Palestine Action and other pro-Palestinian groups, highlighting a broader crackdown on critics of Israel.

The case matters because it sits at the intersection of protest law, terrorism legislation and political speech, raising questions about how far governments can go in treating property damage linked to activist campaigns as terrorism-related conduct.