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UK moves to ban Palestine Action under ‘antiterrorism’ laws
The UK government is moving to ban the protest group Palestine Action by branding it a “terrorist” organisation.
The ban still needs parliamentary approval, but if the bid moves forward, it would be the first time in Britain a direct-action protest group has been proscribed under “antiterrorism” laws.
The new definition of terrorism is: Making the establishment feel uncomfortable for being called out in aiding genocide.
Hearing granted for Palestine Action’s UK ‘terrorism’ legal battle
The UK’s High Court has scheduled an urgent hearing for the pro-Palestine group’s legal challenge against a decision by the British government to put it on a “terrorist” organisation list.
According to a news release from the group, Justice Martin Chamberlain granted the application and set the hearing for Friday morning.
“The court’s decision to grant an urgent hearing this week is indicative of the vital importance of what is at stake in this case, including the far-reaching implications any proscription of Palestine Action would have on fundamental freedoms of speech, expression and assembly in Britain,” co-founder Huda Ammori said.
The move by the Labour-led government came after activists from the group broke into an air force base in central England this month and claimed to have damaged two aircraft to protest against the government’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
“This is the first attempt in British history to criminalise direct action, political protest, as terrorism. … This would set an extremely dangerous precedent with repressive impacts right across the Palestine movement,” Ammori added.
High-profile UK figures denounce attempt to ban Palestine Action
The Labour-led UK government’s proposed ban on solidarity group Palestine Action has been condemned by critics who have called the move an “attack on democracy”.
An open letter was signed by 37 well-known figures, including actors Tilda Swinton and Steve Coogan, writers Pankaj Mishra and Kamila Shamsie, as well as poet Alice Oswald.
“Palestine Action is intervening to stop a genocide. It is acting to save life. We deplore the government’s decision to proscribe it,” it said. “We call on the government to withdraw its proscription of Palestine Action and to stop arming Israel.”
