Proscribing Palestine Action is an Outrage!
Published
by
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi
Proscribing Palestine Action is an Outrage!
- It is a new low from this government, using accusations of terrorism to clamp down on dissent.
- It is an attack on free speech and the right to non-violent protest in the UK – a right Keir Starmer once defended but has now shamefully abandoned.
- It threatens the fabric of our democracy. A direct action protest group will be classified as a terrorist organisation, joining the likes of Islamic State and al-Qaida. There is no resemblance.
- Palestine Action does not advocate for violent armed action or for people to be harmed, It exists to decommission weapons used to commit war crimes. It breaks the law to prevent an even greater breach of the law.
- The government has capitulated to pro-Israel pressure groups such as the Jewish Leadership Council, We Believe in Israel and the so-called Campaign Against Antisemitism.
- Liberty, Amnesty International and the European Legal Support Center have submitted witness statements supporting PA’s case alleging the unlawful misuse of anti-terror measures to criminalise dissent.
- A senior civil servant reports that Home Office staff are concerned about the “absurd” decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws: “It’s…a blatant misuse of anti-terror laws for political purposes to clamp down on protests which are affecting the profits of arms companies.”
- The order makes any and every action in support of Palestine a possible terrorist offence as this might be construed as support for Palestine Action’s goal of “solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
- The government is using anti-terrorist laws to cover up its embarrassment at the poor security at bases where PA actions have taken place.
- Home Secretary Yvette Cooper engages in a cynical ploy by naming Palestine Action in a proscription order alongside 2 obscure Russian neo-nazi groups ‘Maniac Murder Cult’ and ‘Russian Imperialist Movement’ (RIM), forcing MPs to vote to approve all three bans or to reject all three.
We say
We oppose the proscription of Palestine Action and send them our solidarity.
We support the right for people to engage in direct action to prevent greater harm for example, in recent years, for Palestine, to limit environmental catastrophe, to support the rights of asylum seekers or to oppose racism.
We view the actions of Palestine Action as a justifiable response to the brutal occupation of Palestine and the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.
As Jonathan Cook writes in Middle East Eye [02/07/25] “The real crimes are taking place in Gaza, not at Glastonbury or Brize Norton”: https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/real-crimes-are-taking-place-gaza-not-glastonbury-or-brize-norton. Before she was shouted down in the House of Commons debate today, on the outrageous proscription of Palestine Action, Zarah Sultana exclaimed, “We are all Palestine Action”. We all knew that the Starmer coup in the Labour leadership had the potential for authoritarian policies and moves to back more draconian measures to suppress dissent and protests, but did any of us envisage today, when the tradition of civil disobedience and criminal damage, would be classed in the same breath as nazi National Action and violent terrorist groups. This isn’t just the “thin edge of the wedge”, but the most violent, vilest abuse of the ambiguous “Terrorism Act”, by a Labour [?!] government. It’s more than likely now, that more journalists will be arrested for reporting the truth from Palestine. Protesters can exprect more violence and bans from the Metropolitan Police and other authorities like the police in South Wales. The issue is both a massive attack on civil liberties, directed by the Zionist genocidal enablers on the front bench in the Palace of Westminster. Acting on behalf of a foreign power – Israel – Starmer [as Ken Loach has said] is “a very dangerous man”. We have to fight tooth and nail to support those brave enough to take on the likes of Elbit and not forget the real reasons: to highlight the slaughter and holocaust being committed on two million innocent men , women and children in Gaza.
Thank you. We welcome your statement. It’s erosion of our liberty once again. We must not be silenced on genocide. We must stand up for our right to protest and speak out against any kind of oppression and injustice.
Come and support Palestine Action at the Royal Courts of Justice this Friday at 10.30.
No Western government led by the US dares to judge the apartheid zionist regime in occupied Palestine
Ohhh, Jeremy Corbyn, ohhh Jeremy Corbyn. It seems a lifetime away.
Can a new party of the left become established to fill the vacuum? I bloody hope so.
@Eddie Dougall
There is ‘We are Collective’, Eddie.
https://we-are-collective.org/independent-councillors
A loose grouping of Community Independents throughout the country. There’s a list of names included in the link – some familiar, others – not yet – familiar. Not an exhaustive list. See if there are any near you, go along and see if you could assist, in any way.
I suggest, for the sake of commonality, some could change their local title to include the place they represent. That would provide more publicity, and a focal point, locally – and – nationally.
i.e. as some have already done – for instance – [Liverpool] Community Independents.
At a later stage, as We are Collective gains a footing and more recognition, that name could be changed – or not.
This is a turning point. Any Government that does this is exceptionally weak. We have to fight it.
Proscribing Palestine Action is against all justice with regard to all the crimes that are being committed in Gaza against the Palestinian people there.
The best civil disobedience we can accomplish on our own is to JOIN Palestine Action. I have!
https://palestineaction.org/join/
I am sick and tired of seeing and hearing ridiculous arguments by PA in justifying their violent and criminal activities, I’m glad their banned and so should any other group or organisation such as climate activists that disrupt the life of everyday citizens.
Je suis Palestine Action.