Why I couldn't ban 'terrorists' Palestine Action
The direct action group has now been proscribed, making membership of, or support for, the organisation a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. MPs voted to proscribe the group on Wednesday (July 2) with just 26 voting against it.
The ban has now come into force after a late-night legal bid asking the High Court to delay the move failed on Friday (July 4).
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The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident that Palestine Action claimed responsibility for and which police said caused around £7m worth of damage.
Nine Labour MPs voted against proscribing the group, while 114 did not vote at all, including 10 from Greater Manchester.
Not all MPs who did not vote actively abstained, but Manchester Rusholme MP Afzal Khan has explained his reasons why.
In a post on social media, he said he could not 'in good conscience' vote to ban the group alongside 'well-know and violent' neo-Nazis.
The order to proscribe Palestine Action which MPs approved in Parliament this week also included a ban on the white supremacist, neo Nazi group Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement, a white supremacist, ethno-nationalist organisation.
In the post on Bluesky, Mr Khan said: "I am abstaining from this vote, as today's vote also includes proscribing well-known & violent neo-Nazi groups. I can't in good conscience vote in a way that represents my and my constituents' views with these groups being voted on all together."
The Labour MP also shared a letter which he has written to the Home Secretary, expressing his concerns about the move.
In the letter, he wrote: "Many constituents in Manchester Rusholme have expressed deep concern about the recent decision, as well as concerns of the Government limiting legitimate freedom of protest.
"The decision sets a dangerous precedent and, as Amnesty International has warned, risks unlawful interference with the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
"The right to protest has long been a part of British democracy. While criminal damage should be prosecuted through the propoer channels, misusing terrorism legislation in this context risks chilling legitimate dissent, a point raised by many experts and human rights organisations, like Liberty.
"Such a blow against British values and freedoms will also damage our standing on the global stage where we have called against the instruments of the state being used to silence voices of opposition.
"I urge this Labour Government not to extend the legacy of its Conservative predecessor which used executive powers to tighten protest restrictions in the UK."
The Home Office has welcomed the ban on Palestine Action after the group failed to block its proscription with a late-night legal bid.
The group lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday evening (July 4), which sought to stop it being banned, less than two hours before the move came into force at midnight.
A Home Office spokesperson said on Saturday (July 5): 'We welcome the Court's decision and Palestine Action are now a proscribed group. The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security and our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of our citizens.'
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