Children's author Michael Rosen attacks Palestine Action ban
The children's author has signed a letter which will be delivered to Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper on Tuesday, calling for them to 'proscribe genocide, not protest'.
The delegation, organised by Jewish Voice for Labour and also made up of Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC, director Mike Leigh and playwright Gillian Slovo, is calling for the state of Palestine to be recognised immediately as well as a trade embargo with Israel.
The move comes after Palestine Action was proscribed by Ms Cooper, the Home Secretary, on July 5 after a group of its members allegedly entered RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft.
The Metropolitan Police said it would arrest anyone who protested in support of the now-banned group.
However, in the letter to be delivered to No 10, the group said: 'Opposing the brutality of genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza and the West Bank, including taking direct action, is not anti-Semitic. Nor is it terrorism.
'We consider the proscription of Palestine Action to be illegitimate and unethical.
'It is time to end the Government's hand-wringing over the level of slaughter and suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, mixed with tacit support to the Israeli state.
'We oppose genocide as human beings. We oppose it because we are Jews who have learnt from our history to be vigilant against injustice and stand up for justice for all people, everywhere.'
They continued: 'The actions of the UK Government expand on a disturbing trend of attempts by successive governments to restrict peaceful protests intended to save lives.
'Lengthy prison sentences have been given to climate protesters as well as those opposed to arms sales to Israel. It has made the UK among the most repressive countries in Europe according to UN representatives, especially since the proscription of Palestine Action.'
Publicly declaring support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, punishable by up to 14-years in prison.
However, under plans revealed by the Telegraph, organisers are seeking to challenge the Government's proscription of Palestine Action by gathering on such a scale that it overwhelms the police and renders the law unenforceable.
The events, which are being coordinated by the campaign group Defend Our Juries, are expected to see at least 500 people gather in London and other cities on Saturday, with the intention of deliberately flouting terror laws by publicly declaring their support for the group.
Those taking part have been asked to hold up signs saying: 'I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action.'
The Metropolitan Police said it was 'aware' of the planned protest, in which organisers were 'encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system'.
The force warned that anyone showing support for the group 'can expect to be arrested'.
The police have also been urged to investigate a former Guantanamo Bay detainee after he called on Muslims to attend protests to declare their support for Palestine Action.
Speaking at a meeting in Birmingham, Moazzam Begg urged members of the Muslim community to take part in the planned mass demonstration this weekend.
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said that 'without a doubt' the police should launch a probe into the comments made by Mr Begg.
He told The Telegraph: 'Given the threats we are facing from Palestine Action, if the state does not impose its authority now, it will lose it completely.'
He added: 'This is a proscribed organisation, a virtual terrorist organisation. Without a doubt, the police should investigate him [Begg].
'This sort of organisation with its Islamist agenda is one of the most frightening things I have seen in my life.'
Last week the co-founder of the group won the right to bring a legal challenge against proscription, arguing that the ban breached the right to freedom of expression and protest.
A judicial review over the legality of the group is due to be heard in the autumn and could see the ban lifted.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
27 minutes ago
- Sky News
Gaza 'injured his soul': Israeli soldier died by suicide two days before he was due to return to duty
Why you can trust Sky News When your son is risking his life fighting in Gaza, you don't expect to hear news he's been killed on a rest period at home. Eliran Mizrahi had served 187 days as a reservist in Gaza since 8 October, before he died by suicide in June last year. His mother Jenny has turned Eliran's childhood bedroom into a shrine. The 40-year-old's combat vest hanging on the wall still has sand in it from Gaza. The cap he was wearing when he died, sits just above it on a shelf laden with memories of his life. Israel is seeing a wave of soldiers like Eliran taking their own lives - five died by suicide just last month. IDF (Israel Defence Forces) investigations have found it is what they have seen and done in Gaza that are the cause, according to reports by the Israeli public broadcaster. Eliran's mother told Sky News her son returned from Gaza a changed man and she fears there will be many more suicides among Israeli soldiers. "He never left Gaza in his mind," says Jenny. "When he came back he couldn't go back to work. He was a great father with a lot of patience. And he lost his patience with his children, with people. "He was very silent. He didn't sleep at night, he had nightmares. We didn't know anything about it. He didn't speak. Whenever we asked him he said everything is okay." Jenny describes Eliran as someone who was happy and friends with everyone. A father of four "with a big heart" and a big smile. But his experience of the war "injured his soul". Initially, he was deployed to clear bodies of people slaughtered by Hamas at the Nova Festival on 7 October and then deployed to Gaza a day later. Eliran was active on social media and shared videos of his time in Gaza. He was commander of a unit of D9 bulldozers that destroyed buildings and tunnel shafts. After his death, his D9 partner, Guy Zaken, told a parliamentary committee they were often shot at and they ran over hundreds of bodies. Yet they filmed themselves smiling and singing to send to their families. Eliran shared some of those videos on social media. Israel has levelled vast parts of Gaza. Eliran's actions were part of a systematic campaign the UN says has damaged or destroyed over 90% of Gaza's homes. Human rights experts warn this could be a war crime. Eliran was pulled out of Gaza after he sustained knee injuries in an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) attack on his bulldozer. 'The bodies and the blood' He was later diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) - we don't know the cause of his trauma but in the end he couldn't live with it. Two days before he was due to return to active duty, he took his own life. "What he saw over there in Gaza injured his soul. You see all the bodies over there and all the blood. It hurts your soul," says Eliran's mother. Israeli media is reporting at least 18 soldiers have taken their own lives so far this year. Thousands are suffering with PTSD. And more and more reservists are quietly refusing to turn up for duty. The IDF says supporting its service members is a top priority and it invests significant resources in doing so, including deploying mental health officers in all military units. Tuly Flint was one of those officers. A clinical social worker and expert in trauma therapy in his professional life, and a lieutenant colonel in the military reserves, he was deployed to offer psychological support to troops who served in Gaza. Last year, after treating many soldiers and becoming exposed to the extreme suffering of Gazans, Tuly came to the conclusion the war had no purpose and it was a crime against humanity. So he refused to continue to serve in the IDF. "At the beginning of the war what we usually saw was simple PTSD. People who talk about the horrors they saw in the first few weeks with the massacre of Hamas," says Tuly. "But since the second month of the war, people started talking about what takes place on the Palestinian side. "Even people that were not talking about Palestinians' rights, or anything like that, they started talking about the fact that they saw bodies of children, of old people, of women." 'You think, are they lying to me' I asked Tuly how soldiers feel hearing Benjamin Netanyahu 's narrative that there is no starvation in Gaza - that the images we see are a lie. The Israeli military bears witness to what is happening in Gaza in a way most of the world, including international journalists, still can't. "When you hear your government and your commanders telling things that are not true, you start thinking, are they lying to me also?" says Tuly. "When you hear your prime minister lying about things that you saw in Gaza, things that you did ... people talk about torching houses, people talk about a 'deadline' - not a metaphor - a deadline when people cross they will be killed no matter if they are children or women ... they see people starving and they also see the chaos." 2:20 After nearly two years of war, the human cost is weighing heavily on Israeli society. A majority of Israelis now believe that only a deal, not military pressure, will bring the remaining hostages home. And the humanitarian crisis unfolding just across the border is becoming a source of public unease. Former military and intelligence chiefs are also now against the war. The Commanders for Israel's Security group (CIS) has argued, in its professional judgement, "Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel" - and has written to Donald Trump asking him to compel Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war. Tuly Flint says there's an erosion of trust between soldiers and those leading them. "When you come back home and you hear so many people - former chiefs of staff, former heads of the security bodies of Israel - saying 'this war has no aim anymore' ... you say to yourself: 'I hear from former chiefs of staff that I'm killing hostages by waging war and my government is still sending me there?' "When you see the pictures that you've seen with your own eyes and your government says 'no this is a lie, no this is propaganda', this makes you distrust everyone. And when you distrust everyone, why would you ask for help?" The mental and moral burden on soldiers could be about to grow. Despite strong objections from the IDF's chief of staff, Israel is expanding military operations in Gaza with plans to take control of the entire territory. We understand that references to suicide in any context can be difficult for some people. We provide details of support available from the Samaritans where any such references are included. You can find these here: call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@ in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Woman wearing Palestine Action T-shirt arrested in Belfast
It comes after the British Government in July made expressing support for or being a member of Palestine Action a criminal offence under terrorism legislation. In London, about 365 people were arrested for supporting the banned group after protesters gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll (Claudia Savage/PA) In Belfast, videos shared online show a woman wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt being told by police officers she was being arrested on suspicion of 'possessing an article, namely a sign or T-shirt, that indicates support for Palestine Action'. Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International UK, Patrick Corrigan, said the protester's arrest was 'outrageous'. 'Peaceful protest is a basic human right,' he said. 'Many people are justifiably angered by the ongoing genocide in Gaza and are concerned about UK complicity. Under international human rights law, they have every right to voice their concerns. 'The individual who joined a Refugees Welcome rally in Belfast was not promoting violence, and it is wholly disproportionate for the PSNI to treat her as a terrorist. 'UK terrorism laws pose a serious risk to free expression. Rather than targeting peaceful protesters, the Government should be taking swift and decisive measures to end Israel's genocide.' Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll condemned police action against pro-Palestine activists. He called on Executive ministers to 'speak up for the right to protest' and dismiss any charges people may face. 'The whole world can see the mass starvation and daily executions carried out by Israel, yet the people being harassed in Belfast are those who stand up for Palestine,' Mr Carroll said. 'On the same day we saw far-right protesters with offensive and provocative signage, including pro-Israel items, the police took it upon themselves to arrest activists for having the temerity to wear items of clothing in solidarity action. 'The British Government implemented a regressive clampdown with their vote to proscribe Palestine Action, without a single vote being cast in the local Assembly.' Sinn Fein MLA for West Belfast Pat Sheehan said the British Government and PSNI's actions were 'disgraceful'. 'While Keir Starmer continues to enable the ongoing Israeli genocide and starvation of Gazans, he is also moving to silence ordinary, decent people for speaking out,' he said. 'Just yesterday, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu announced his intention to seize Gaza City. 'Yet still, Starmer provides cover for this rogue regime, instead targeting activists for highlighting what should be a universal moral outrage. 'Like all previous censorship attempts by the British Government, which is totally out of step with the wider public, this too will fail. 'Highlighting the ongoing devastation in Gaza is not a crime. The real crime is Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide, aided and abetted by the US and Britain.' The PSNI has been contacted for comment.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Police Scotland monitoring of Palestine protests revealed
Dubbed Operation Tarlac, the coordinated approach was developed by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), and sought to support local police and counter-terrorism forces to ensure 'public safety and community cohesion.' A briefing document viewed by The Herald outlines Police Scotland's response to mass protests in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen on Saturday, October 14th, one week after the conflict erupted. Pro-Palestine protests have taken place across the UK. (Image: Lucy North / PA) A command centre was set up in Govan after the force received intelligence of potential counter-protests and 'disorder' on the morning of the 14th. Operational notes explain that 250 people gathered in Aberdeen and 300 took to the streets in Dundee, while 500 people marched to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Meanwhile, approximately 6,000 people gathered at the Buchanan Street Steps before proceeding to the BBC's headquarters on Pacific Quay. No counter protest was identified, and all events ended peacefully. Assistant Chief Superintendent David Robertson told colleagues: 'In spite of significantly greater numbers than anticipated, the event passed off peacefully with a proportionate policing deployment. 'It resulted in only one fixed penalty notice for a breach of the peace directed towards officers.' In total, police attended nearly 500 planned pro-Palestine protests across Scotland between October 2023 and May 2025, as well as an unspecified number of 'spontaneous' demonstrations. Officers were called out to 178 protests in the Greater Glasgow region, as well as 98 in the North East, 75 in Edinburgh, 54 in Tayside, and 46 in Dumfries and Galloway. 'Operation Tarlac' was launched amid nationwide concern over ethnic tensions in the wake of the Hamas attacks. A letter to NPCC members, sent on October 8th, reads: 'What we have learnt from our monitoring of UK communities during times of previous conflict, notably in 2014 and 2021, is that there is likely to be an adverse reaction here in the UK, as well as the potential for individuals and extremist groups around the world to use the conflict to justify their own violence. 'It is vital that we play an active and informed role to reassure affected communities and by responding robustly to any incidents that seek to increase tensions rather than to share empathy. 'I would urge all forces to reach out locally to affected communities and maintain effective communications to reassure them that we will not tolerate illegal activity, regardless of how distressing the international violence is to our communities.' Police Scotland have attended more than 500 protests. (Image: Newsquest) Police Scotland has been criticised by pro-Palestine activists in recent months. In March, campaigners called for a review of the force's conduct at protests. At the time, Scottish Friends of Palestine said: 'There are currently about 40 Palestine supporters facing court cases. It is worth noting that over the past 16 months hardly any arrests have resulted in convictions by the Scottish courts. 'This is a huge waste of public resources that could easily be avoided if Police Scotland got their act together and provided their officers and commanders with adequate training about the public's right to protest and the limitations of officers' powers when dealing with political protests.' Others have spoken out since the Palestine Action group was proscribed in July. Kimberley Davidson of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign told The Herald that activists have had to have 'difficult conversations' in the wake of the ban. She said: 'There is a very clear approach that has been taken by police up and down the UK. People have been arrested for wearing T-shirts and others have been challenged by police over Palestine flags and anti-Israel placards.' More than 200 people have been arrested across the UK on suspicion of expressing support for Palestine Action since the ban came into force. Read more: A Police Scotland spokesperson told The Herald: 'We have a legal duty to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest and we'll engage with protest groups. 'Campaigning and demonstration is a legitimate, necessary and vital part of life. 'However, abusive, threatening behaviour or activity intended to disrupt an event that poses a risk to safety is not legitimate protest. 'Every situation is unique and we will respond proportionately.'
