This is wrong on the suffragettes but it's also wrong on Palestine Action. The court said Palestine Action acted covertly.
But Pal Action operated very much in the public domain, sharing videos and content. They had a Twitter and Instagram account! It's founders Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard were known and widely interviewed about how they operated. In July 2024 Prospect had a profile of them both called "How to shut down a weapons factory." Pal Action contributed op-eds and actionists were widely interviewed (often after they were acquitted, like the Elbit 3 were in 2021).
It's only true inasmuch as they didn't broadcast their targets ahead of time because that would lead to them being stopped. Duh, of course not. Did the suffragettes publish pamphlets ahead of time saying where they were going to smash windows and chain themselves to railings? Did the anti-apartheid movement and Lord Peter Hain phone the government to let them know when they were going to invade sports pitches or lock themselves to stadia?
As ever, it's hard not to despair at the British judiciary and it's deference to government power. Don't forget it was the same courts that decided it was ok for the UK to send F-35 parts to Israel despite the very clear risk that they contribute to war crimes, saying that it wasn't for the courts to gainsay executive decisions - decisions taken by politicians funded by pro-Israeli donors and taking free all-expenses trips to Israel.
The Lady Chief Justice: Palestine Action was not a direct action civil disobedience protest group like the suffragettes, but used violence to destroy property
The suffragettes burned down country houses & train stations, bombed churches & sent letter bombs to politicians.