What is Palestine Action? Sally Rooney's books no longer sold through the group in Britain

Sally Rooney's publisher said the Irish author will no longer sell her books in Britain after the country banned the pro-Palestine group she had pledged to financially support.

Irish author Sally Rooney's publisher has said she will no longer sell her books in Britain after the country banned a pro-Palestinian group she had pledged to sponsor.

Rooney had pledged to donate royalties from his best-selling novels, including Intermezzo and Ordinary People, to Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organization by the British government. His publisher, Faber, said in a statement on Wednesday that it had decided to no longer release his work "in the UK in any form".

Faber said: "The current laws in the UK have led to a situation where Faber is unable to pass on UK revenues for his work to Sally Rooney. It is an unreasonable situation for a publisher to sell their work and not be able to pass on the proceeds."

The news has fueled debate over the UK government's unprecedented decision to use terrorism powers to ban a group best known for financial damage and disruption. The group describes its goal as halting arms sales to Israel and ending what it describes as British complicity in Israel's "genocide" of Palestinians.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's military operation in Gaza following a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages. In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the Gaza Ministry of Health is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian aid groups, journalists and international institutions. Its figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by Time. Israel Defense Forces data shows a 83 percent Palestinian civilian death rate by May 2025.

Rooney has long voiced his support for the group, calling the UK ban "a truly extreme attack on ordinary rights and freedoms".

Here's what you need to know about the band and how the UK government's ban will affect Ronnie.

Palestine Action is a UK-based Palestinian advocacy group that describes itself as a "direct action movement committed to ending global complicity in Israel's genocidal and apartheid regime". This group has targeted facilities related to the production or procurement of Israeli weapons.

"Any moment we can disrupt them is a victory, because stopping production at one site cuts off their entire supply chain and hits other factories. If one action prevents one weapon from killing one Palestinian, it's worth it," the group's website says.

Since its establishment in 2020, members of Palestine Action have repeatedly damaged British facilities linked to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. Elbit Systems U.K. denied claims that its facilities supplied the Israeli army.

In June 2025, members of Palestine Action infiltrated the R.A.F. Breeze Norton, the UK's largest air force base, spray-painted two aircraft.

The British government banned the group in July 2025. It is banned as a terrorist organization. It was the UK's first ban based primarily on financial harm, rather than threats or use of violence against people, although the government said members of the group had shown a "willingness to use violence".

The group's leaders have said it does not support or use violence against people.

Announcing the ban, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary at the time, said: "In several attacks, Palestine Action has carried out acts of serious damage to property in order to advance its political goals and influence the government."

This ban has faced a series of legal challenges. In February, the Supreme Court found it illegal and disproportionate, but an appeals court overturned that ruling in June. The ban remains in place and the Supreme Court is due to hear an appeal early next month.

How does this ban affect Ronnie and others?

Since the ban, more than 3,000 people have been arrested in demonstrations for expressing support for the group. Among these people were protesters holding signs that read: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestinian action."

The ban and subsequent arrests sparked a debate about freedom of speech and the use of anti-terrorism laws against political protests. Britain protects freedom of speech under human rights law, but allows broader restrictions than the US First Amendment, including in the areas of national security and public order. Inviting or expressing support for banned organizations, even without inciting violence, can be a criminal offense in the UK. However, the government maintains that banning the group does not prevent legal protests in support of pro-Palestinian causes.

After the ban, Ronnie pledged to donate money from the sale of his book to the group. In an August 2025 article in The Irish Times, Rooney wrote: "I want to make it clear that I intend to use this income from my work, as well as my public platform in general, to continue to support the Palestinian cause and direct action against genocide in any way I can."

The writer added: "To ensure that the British people are informed of my position, I would happily publish this statement in a British newspaper - but it is now illegal." The current British government has willingly denied its citizens basic rights and freedoms, including the right to express and read dissenting opinions, in order to protect its relationship with Israel.

It is a criminal offense to provide financial support to organizations designated under UK terrorism legislation. In a statement released by her agent, Rooney said: "It would now be a serious criminal offense to enter into publishing agreements for my work in the UK. After a process of consultation and consultation, and with my full agreement, my publisher Faber has decided that it can no longer supply my work within the UK."

The decision to withdraw Rooney's books from Britain has reignited debate over the ban. "Sally Rooney's inability to publish her work in the UK represents a new low point in the escalating attack on freedom of expression caused by the ban on Palestine Action," Hoda Amouri, co-founder of Palestine Action, told the Guardian.

British MP Ian Byrne called on the government to reconsider the ban, noting that he had "warned of the severe consequences that would come with it."

Now this is an injustice to one of the best writers of his generation. An absolutely shameful attack on freedom of speech,” he said on social media.

Rooney reiterated his intention to support Palestine Action, "which is not a banned or banned group here in the Republic of Ireland."

"I've done my best to be honest with people about my thoughts and intentions," the author said. And I am fully prepared to accept the consequences."