To: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper who made the order and all MPs and Lords, who need to approve it
Stop the banning of Palestine Action under terrorism law
We call on the Home Office to immediately halt its plans for the proscription of Palestine Action. We call on all MPs and Lords to publicly oppose and vote against the proscription of Palestine Action.
Why is this important?
This proscription order, which could come into force as early as Friday 4th of July, or even before, is a historic threat to our basic civil liberties.
Right now it's completely legal to voice support for Palestine Action, as many have including Sally Rooney, Quakers in Britain and Lowkey. But if the ban comes into effect, any new expressions of support for Palestine Action will become illegal — while as it campaigns to stop war crimes occurring in Palestine by disrupting the flow of weapons and finance from Britain to Israel.
A historic attack on our civil liberties and the right to civil disobedience
MPs and the lords must not vote this order through to protect our civil liberties. The Home Secretary’s proposal has been described as “a shocking escalation of the Government's crackdown on protest” by Amnesty and Liberty, both leading legal and human rights organisations.
Home office briefing documents admit that Palestine Action “engage in civil disobedience and direct action” and “does not meet the threshold for proscription as they do not commit” or “encourage … acts of terrorism.”
Yet the Home Secretary has persisted, basing her proscription on allegations of criminal damage against property. Spray painting warplanes is not terrorism. Palestine Action aims to prevent violence against people by interrupting the flow of weapons used in brutal violence against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, widely understood to be crimes against humanity. To date no Palestine Action activists have been convicted of violent offences.
It would be an entirely unprecedented and extremely dangerous kneejerk reaction to rank such protest groups who engage in direct action as "terrorists” and treat them the same as ISIS, National Action, or Boko Haram.
In fact, Palestine Action’s campaign continues the long tradition of civil disobedience to carry out low-level vandalism in order to prevent war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Even if the public disagrees with Palestine Action's cause, there is already a framework of criminal damage that covers their actions.
Setting a precedence and extreme chilling effect on political protest
This government's crackdown on political protest, particularly for Palestinian rights, undermines all our civil liberties and democratic freedoms and risks creating a chilling effect on advocacy for Palestinian rights across British society, and on other campaigns for human rights and against war.
Aiming counter-terrorist police, powers and charges at protesters will itself strike terror into conscientious citizens who have no recourse to a voice when the government decides not to listen on critical issues of the day.
This sets a precedence for future government bans on other protest movements, a slippery slope which attacks the fundamental right to freedom of expression.
Right now it's completely legal to voice support for Palestine Action, as many have including Sally Rooney, Quakers in Britain and Lowkey. But if the ban comes into effect, any new expressions of support for Palestine Action will become illegal — while as it campaigns to stop war crimes occurring in Palestine by disrupting the flow of weapons and finance from Britain to Israel.
A historic attack on our civil liberties and the right to civil disobedience
MPs and the lords must not vote this order through to protect our civil liberties. The Home Secretary’s proposal has been described as “a shocking escalation of the Government's crackdown on protest” by Amnesty and Liberty, both leading legal and human rights organisations.
Home office briefing documents admit that Palestine Action “engage in civil disobedience and direct action” and “does not meet the threshold for proscription as they do not commit” or “encourage … acts of terrorism.”
Yet the Home Secretary has persisted, basing her proscription on allegations of criminal damage against property. Spray painting warplanes is not terrorism. Palestine Action aims to prevent violence against people by interrupting the flow of weapons used in brutal violence against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, widely understood to be crimes against humanity. To date no Palestine Action activists have been convicted of violent offences.
It would be an entirely unprecedented and extremely dangerous kneejerk reaction to rank such protest groups who engage in direct action as "terrorists” and treat them the same as ISIS, National Action, or Boko Haram.
In fact, Palestine Action’s campaign continues the long tradition of civil disobedience to carry out low-level vandalism in order to prevent war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Even if the public disagrees with Palestine Action's cause, there is already a framework of criminal damage that covers their actions.
Setting a precedence and extreme chilling effect on political protest
This government's crackdown on political protest, particularly for Palestinian rights, undermines all our civil liberties and democratic freedoms and risks creating a chilling effect on advocacy for Palestinian rights across British society, and on other campaigns for human rights and against war.
Aiming counter-terrorist police, powers and charges at protesters will itself strike terror into conscientious citizens who have no recourse to a voice when the government decides not to listen on critical issues of the day.
This sets a precedence for future government bans on other protest movements, a slippery slope which attacks the fundamental right to freedom of expression.
The British government should not be using counter-terrorism laws as a political weapon to criminalise dissent. Instead of fulfilling its obligations under international law to prevent genocide, the government is attempting to criminalise people who demand justice for Palestinians. This comes at a time when Israel is continuing its relentless bombing campaign against the people of Gaza, including daily massacres of starving people gathered to collect much-needed aid.
Parliament, if not the Home Office, must protect our civil liberties and defeat this government order. History will not forgive us if we throw away our freedom.
Parliament, if not the Home Office, must protect our civil liberties and defeat this government order. History will not forgive us if we throw away our freedom.
