Palestine Action

[jon1959]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...say-organisers

A mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action on Saturday could set a record for the number of people arrested at a single event of civil disobedience, organisers have said.

Defend Our Juries said it had received 1,500 pledges to attend the demonstration in London and risk arrest and was expecting hundreds more to register by the weekend.

The group said the record number of arrests at a single event was 1,314, made by the Metropolitan police during the Committee of 100’s 1961 anti-nuclear demonstration in Trafalgar Square. The central London square was also the centre of the 1990 poll tax uprisings when 339 people were arrested in one day.

More than 1,600 people have been arrested since the ban under the Terrorism Act came into effect on 5 July, mainly for holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” The highest arrest tally so far was on 6 September at a demonstration in Parliament Square when 890 people were detained, 857 for showing support for a proscribed group.

A Defend Our Juries spokesperson said: “With over 1,500 people already pledging to take part, and hundreds more expected to register by the weekend, this is set to be the biggest mass action yet defying the ban on Palestine Action.

“While Keir Starmer ignores the demands of his own party members to recognise Israel’s genocide and take action – including sanctions and a full arms embargo – thousands are stepping up where his government refuses to act.

“This Saturday could soon see the number of arrests nearly double from the current total of 1,600, setting a new record for the largest mass arrest – an extraordinary misuse of counter-terror and policing resources.”

On Sunday, Merseyside police arrested 66 people, including an 83-year-old, on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action at a rally outside the Labour party conference in Liverpool. Two were later dearrested.

[Dorcus]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...say-organisers

A mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action on Saturday could set a record for the number of people arrested at a single event of civil disobedience, organisers have said.

Defend Our Juries said it had received 1,500 pledges to attend the demonstration in London and risk arrest and was expecting hundreds more to register by the weekend.

The group said the record number of arrests at a single event was 1,314, made by the Metropolitan police during the Committee of 100’s 1961 anti-nuclear demonstration in Trafalgar Square. The central London square was also the centre of the 1990 poll tax uprisings when 339 people were arrested in one day.

More than 1,600 people have been arrested since the ban under the Terrorism Act came into effect on 5 July, mainly for holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” The highest arrest tally so far was on 6 September at a demonstration in Parliament Square when 890 people were detained, 857 for showing support for a proscribed group.

A Defend Our Juries spokesperson said: “With over 1,500 people already pledging to take part, and hundreds more expected to register by the weekend, this is set to be the biggest mass action yet defying the ban on Palestine Action.

“While Keir Starmer ignores the demands of his own party members to recognise Israel’s genocide and take action – including sanctions and a full arms embargo – thousands are stepping up where his government refuses to act.

“This Saturday could soon see the number of arrests nearly double from the current total of 1,600, setting a new record for the largest mass arrest – an extraordinary misuse of counter-terror and policing resources.”

On Sunday, Merseyside police arrested 66 people, including an 83-year-old, on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action at a rally outside the Labour party conference in Liverpool. Two were later dearrested.

I think this is the way forward, mass protests and force the Government to submit.

[JamesWales]

Of all the things to protest about. Jeez.

[stevo]

Of all the things to protest about. Jeez.

Maybe you're missing the point?

[Dorcus]

Of all the things to protest about. Jeez.

Oh of course there's many many more but this is a very important point of principle: it's a great place to start

[jon1959]

Of all the things to protest about. Jeez.

You had Truthpaste riding shotgum for you there.... and then you lost him!

[truthpaste]

Good spot Jon. Most people don't realise who they are referring to when they say that.

As for who I'm ridng with, I'll let Denzel share that with you, because he has the same 'Driver' as me.

[jon1959]

Cancelling a major protest in London tomorrow in support of lifting the ban on Palestine Action “lets terror win,” its organisers have said amid pressure to call it off from police and the government after Thursday’s terror attack in Manchester.

On Friday, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, also called for the protest to be postponed after police said they wanted to be able to focus their resources on protecting Jewish and Muslim communities.

But the organisers, Defend Our Juries, said that supporters, including many Jewish people, wanted the protest to go ahead.

It expected 1,500 people - including priests, vicars, pensioners and healthcare workers - to take part in the event which would involve them peacefully sitting holding cardboard signs saying ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action’.

In a statement it said:

"Our thoughts are with everyone who has lost loved ones in the horrific attack on Heaton Park Synagogue and we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community across the UK.”

”Many Jewish supporters of Defend Our Juries have warned that postponing tomorrow’s action would risk conflating the actions of state of Israel with Jewish people around the world – as [Benjamin] Netanyahu seeks to do – who bear no responsibility for Israel’s crimes, which could fuel antisemitic hatred and prejudice.

“It couldn’t be clearer that tomorrow’s action – which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue – is about defying the government’s absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the government’s complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.

Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win. It’s more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...08d534bcbb5b8c

[Dorcus]

Cancelling a major protest in London tomorrow in support of lifting the ban on Palestine Action “lets terror win,” its organisers have said amid pressure to call it off from police and the government after Thursday’s terror attack in Manchester.

On Friday, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, also called for the protest to be postponed after police said they wanted to be able to focus their resources on protecting Jewish and Muslim communities.

But the organisers, Defend Our Juries, said that supporters, including many Jewish people, wanted the protest to go ahead.

It expected 1,500 people - including priests, vicars, pensioners and healthcare workers - to take part in the event which would involve them peacefully sitting holding cardboard signs saying ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action’.

In a statement it said:

"Our thoughts are with everyone who has lost loved ones in the horrific attack on Heaton Park Synagogue and we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community across the UK.”

”Many Jewish supporters of Defend Our Juries have warned that postponing tomorrow’s action would risk conflating the actions of state of Israel with Jewish people around the world – as [Benjamin] Netanyahu seeks to do – who bear no responsibility for Israel’s crimes, which could fuel antisemitic hatred and prejudice.

“It couldn’t be clearer that tomorrow’s action – which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue – is about defying the government’s absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the government’s complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.

Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win. It’s more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...08d534bcbb5b8c

I think the Government's opportunist attempt to cancel this march entirely vindicates your comments in another thread Jon.

[jon1959]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...r-laura-murton

A protester who was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestine flag and signs saying “free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide” has received an apology from police, including for “unlawful false imprisonment”.

Kent police have also agreed to pay damages and legal costs to Laura Murton, 43, in connection with the 14 July incident in Canterbury in which armed officers told her her demonstration expressed views supportive of Palestine Action, which had been banned earlier that month.

-

Her lawyer said it was the first time a chief constable had apologised and paid damages for unlawful policing arising from the proscription of Palestine Action.

In the encounter, which Murton filmed, an officer told her: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.”

He claimed the phrase “free Gaza” was “supportive of Palestine Action” and that “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action, is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act”. The officer told her she had committed that offence.

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[Jeff Mansfield]

FIFA President Gianni Infantino("FIFA doesn't do geopolitics") is present at the so-called peace conference in Sharm El Sheikh. There's a Photo of him with Trump on Twitter.

There's money in keeping politics out of sport as long as you ban Russia while letting Israel stay and play in Europe. Just follow American orders and you'll be fine, son.

[jon1959]

[jon1959]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ad-court-rules

A legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action can go ahead next month after the court of appeal rejected the Home Office’s attempt to block the case.

[jon1959]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-hunger-strike

Pro-Palestine Action activists have threatened to go on hunger strike on the anniversary of the Balfour declaration in protest against being held in prison while awaiting trial.

Prisoners for Palestine have said an undisclosed number of inmates will begin an open-ended hunger strike on 2 November if their demands are not met.

A letter detailing their demands, which include immediate bail, lifting the ban on Palestine Action and an end to censorship of their communications, was handed in at the Home Office on Monday by two previously imprisoned activists, Francesca Nadin and Audrey Corno.

They said: “The government must make the correct decision and give the prisoners the basic legal rights that they have been denied. The government has left the prisoners with no other option but to hunger strike for their freedom and justice.

“The prisoners are firm in the knowledge that they have massive support both here and internationally, and that the people will come together to take action in their name. This is a direct result of not only the government’s appalling actions towards the prisoners, but also their active participation in the genocide in Gaza.”

[JamesWales]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-hunger-strike

Pro-Palestine Action activists have threatened to go on hunger strike on the anniversary of the Balfour declaration in protest against being held in prison while awaiting trial.

Prisoners for Palestine have said an undisclosed number of inmates will begin an open-ended hunger strike on 2 November if their demands are not met.

A letter detailing their demands, which include immediate bail, lifting the ban on Palestine Action and an end to censorship of their communications, was handed in at the Home Office on Monday by two previously imprisoned activists, Francesca Nadin and Audrey Corno.

They said: “The government must make the correct decision and give the prisoners the basic legal rights that they have been denied. The government has left the prisoners with no other option but to hunger strike for their freedom and justice.

“The prisoners are firm in the knowledge that they have massive support both here and internationally, and that the people will come together to take action in their name. This is a direct result of not only the government’s appalling actions towards the prisoners, but also their active participation in the genocide in Gaza.”

Getting a bit satirical now.

[JamesWales]

(alleged) Palestine Action members used sledgehammers in break in, fracturing one police officers back

"The evidence demonstrates that all of these defendants used them for that purpose, to threaten or to attack the security guards and to lend support to one another as they did so," she said.

I'm guessing this is the kind of thing Yvette Cooper was alluding to when she said people don't have the full information as to why they were proscribed?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79727zeqyvo