The government's banning of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation has the hallmarks of an authoritarian "abuse of power", the High Court has heard.

The co-founder of a pro-Palestinian campaign group sought on Monday to challenge the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, a move her lawyers said had "the hallmarks of an authoritarian and blatant abuse of power".

British police have arrested dozens of people for supporting a banned Palestinian rights organization as protests over the government’s decision to outlaw the group continued for a third weekend.