The potential banning of the Palestine Action protest group is a gravely concerning development in the UK government’s attempts at suppressing freedom of protest and free speech.
The lead-singer of the Irish language rap group Kneecap is also currently being prosecuted for a breach of the so called “anti-terrorism” legislation for allegedly saying “Up Hezbollah, up Hamas” at a gig in Denmark. He is also accused of waving a Hezbollah flag at a gig in Kentish Town, London on November 21st, 2024. The band has previously stated that they neither support Hezbollah or Hamas. Speaking after the adjourned court hearing one of the band’s solicitors stated that Kneecap would, “stand up for freedom of expression,” and “defend not only their rights but the rights of artists and people all around the world.”
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Palestine Action is being prosecuted for various “offences”, most recently accessing RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and spraying sections of two military supply planes red. A spokesperson for Palestine Action told the BBC that it would be “absurd” for the government to proscribe the group, therefore branding a peaceful activist group as terrorist. Palestine Action engages in peaceful, disruptive behaviour that inconveniences the forces that promote the genocide against Palestinians. Their actions do not reflect the violence, oppression and genocide promoted by the British state. Keir Starmer, his confederates and political allies are the actual agents of terror.
Footage posted online by Palestine action showed two people inside the Oxfordshire airbase in darkness. One was seen driving a scooter up to an Airbus transport plane and spraying one of its engines red. A spokesperson for Palestine Action said, “when our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action.”
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The UK government tries to justify the proscribing of Palestine Action by using the government’s “independent” reviewer of terrorism legislation to equate the actions of Palestine Action to terrorism, saying they have “gone beyond protest to blackmail… it’s got to the point where they’ve started to say: ‘we will carry on causing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage unless you stop’.” Only a cynical capitalist agent could equate the damage to property and disruption of infrastructure with terror.
More than 20 international legal organisations across six continents have supported an open letter criticising the UK’s increased use of anti-terrorism laws. Signatories include the National Lawyers Guild International (USA), International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), Indian Association of Lawyers, Progressive Lawyers’ Association (Turkey), and the Worldwide Lawyers Association (WOLAS). The open letter describes the recent wave of arrests against members of Palestine Action and others as, “a broad pattern of increasing restriction and repression of collective dissent in the United Kingdom, including in relation to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
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In reference to The Filton 18, a group of members of Palestine Action who allegedly broke into Elbit Systems arms factories and damaged weaponry, their actions legally constitute criminal damage at most. However, The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has called on the courts to treat their cases as having terrorist connections. This is a clear case of the CPS being used as a legal storm-trooper against people who may have broken the law, but whose intentions were to prevent terror being enacted on Palestinians by the use of weapons manufactured in the UK.
The mythical independence of the British judiciary is revealed through the willingness of the CPS to carry out the bidding of the UK state despite its position being legally incoherent. Terror involves acts of murder and violence towards human beings not the smashing of a weapon that will aid such acts of terror.
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The UK government is on a course of repression against its people. Most British people are sympathetic towards the plight of the Palestinians. Recently 350,000 marched on Whitehall to condemn the UK government’s sanctioning of violence in Gaza. Many more join vigils and protests all over the country. Public opposition to these protests is minimal. These protests and vigils have taken place every week since October 7th. They will continue and are growing in strength and support as the weeks go by. Protestors have been accused by the UK government of fostering hatred towards the people of Israel. The overwhelming feeling on the dozens of protests and vigils is one of compassion for the plight of the Palestinians. There is anger, of course there is, but this is anger is not personalised. The few counter protesters and hecklers that we encounter are the ones filled with hatred. They are the ones who will celebrate the murder of Palestinian children and praise Israel for its genocide. The peaceful protestors want an end to the violence. Their political objectives do vary but the tone of their remarks and of the discussions that take place at the protests is overwhelmingly one of humanity.
The people of the United Kingdom need to be made aware of the fact that laws are being enacted and judgements distorted in order to prevent the voices of resistance speaking out. Seeking to prevent arms being sent to Israel is not an act of terror, it is an act of peace. Flimsy evidence is being used to prosecute activists seeking peace, not war. Those who thirst for war, be it in Gaza, Ukraine or Iran are those who hold the levers of power in the British state.
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The workers movement, the trade unions and the Left should take up this issue and campaign against the use of “anti-terrorism” legislation on protesters. If this legal aggression is normalised, then it will also be used against any kind of movement that challenges the status quo. It is also important to discuss how to go beyond symbolic actions, towards actually disrupting military and economic transactions with the Israeli state.
It is now time to build support politically through a new Left party and also on the streets. The Labour government looks to move our legal system more and more towards the repression of human rights. The anti-working class policies of the Labour government is the target the Left should be focussing upon and those still in the Labour Party should be prompted to leave it and join with those who seek peace and justice. If a true socialist political alternative does not emerge, then the prospect of resisting the forces of reaction and oppression will be significantly weakened.
