Resisting repression, sustaining solidarity

JVL introduction

Although the latest national demonstration for Palestine on February 15 went off relatively free of explicit police repression, we cannot afford to be complacent.
Here is a brief summary of the current state of play.

NWI

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More than 70 people were arrested on January 18 during a crackdown by the Metropolitan Police imposing draconian restrictions on a long-planned demonstration which they forced the organisers to re-route and then swooped on participants who overstepped arbitrary new guidelines.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal was one of more than 70 people arrested and is due to stand trial over three consecutive days between July 23 and July 25 at Westminster Magistrates Court on charges that he “led, and incited others to join, a procession which forced its way through a Police line at the top of Whitehall, thereby breaching conditions imposed upon our protest.”

Jamal called the police action “a huge assault on the right to freedom of assembly and to protest….The facts of what happened on Saturday are laid out clearly in the statement made by the Palestine Coalition, backed by the wide body of video evidence PSC has posted online.”

Chris Nineham of Stop the War, whose case is scheduled to be heard along with two others at City Magistrates Court on July 7/8, told JVL: “We understand the majority of the others arrested on January 18 are not being charged. We urge any arrestees, even if they have not yet been charged, to contact StW or PSC so that we can help coordinate and share details of an upcoming meeting we have organised for all arrestees.”

Contact [email protected]g or [email protected]

Whatever the hysterical claims of those who support Netanyahu’s genocidal war on Palestinians, mass, public displays of solidarity must continue as the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians accelerates at a frightening pace across the West Bank, and Israel – with full backing from Trump’s White House and no pushback from Western governments – openly contemplates complete erasure of Palestinian life from Gaza. The anti-Palestinian racism on display on media platforms has reached an obscene level.

Starmer’s government shows every intention of deploying repressive legislation introduced by the Conservatives or previously on the statute books to restrict or ban pro-Palestinian, environmental or other forms of dissent unacceptable to an increasingly authoritarian establishment.

Individuals displaying their solidarity with Palestine by carrying placards or flags on demonstrations or simply by wearing a lapel pin may find themselves facing harassment or arrest, threats to their employment and online bullying. There have been too many recent examples to list here.

The Met Police has clear guidelines for assessing whether offences have been committed under public order, terrorism and other legislation. A document became available recently, apparently as a result of a Freedom of Information request submitted by Zionists dissatisfied with the level of police repression. It makes for interesting reading.

Here for example are the notes accompanying the section on Harassment, Alarm and Distress (HMD) under Section5 of the Public Order Act 1986 Section 31(1)(c) and the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (racial)

MP John McDonnell who attended court on February 21 when Ben Jamal appeared to face his charges, told the Morning Star: “Frankly, if they can charge or prosecute [him], nobody is safe — nobody who seeks to protest on any issue in Britain will be safe from the prosecution and harassment that we’ve seen in the last few weeks.”