Latest news with #CrowdJustice
Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
Palestine Action raises £100,000 to fight being proscribed
Palestine Action has raised more than £100,000 to fight the government's attempts to proscribe it as a terrorist organisation. It has instructed Gareth Peirce, a veteran human rights solicitor who has represented Guantanamo Bay detainees Moazzam Begg and Shaker Aamer, the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, to represent the group in court. As of yesterday evening, Palestine Action had raised £113,000 on the Crowd Justice website, which describes itself as the UK's leading fundraising platform for legal issues 'big and small'. It is the platform that Palestine Action has frequently used to raise money for the legal costs for its activists facing court trials following its direct action protests. The group believes it can block efforts by the government to add it to a list of proscribed terrorists organisations in the UK, which would make it illegal to be a member, invite support for or donate to Palestine Action — with a maximum punishment of 14 years in jail. However, it said it was preparing to de-proscribe the group if the government succeeds. Only five groups have succeeded in being removed from the list of terror groups since the proscription process was set up 25 years ago. Hamas is currently fighting a legal battle to de-proscribe it from the Home Office list. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, will introduce secondary legislation to ban the group on Monday, followed by votes in the House of Commons on Wednesday and in the House of Lords on Thursday. If successful, Palestine Action will be banned by the end of next week, which would place the group alongside terrorist organisations including al-Qaeda, Isis and Hamas. Cooper said she had decided to ban Palestine Action after a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage' culminating in its 'disgraceful attack' at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday. On its crowdfunding page, the group said it needed £100,000 to fund the legal fight, which it received within 48 hours of the home secretary's announcement. It said: 'Whilst we hope to stop the proscription process, we need to also prepare for the potential fight to de-proscribe Palestine Action.' Neil Basu, the former head of UK counter terrorism, has backed the government's attempts to proscribe Palestine Action. He suggested the government should also lower the bar for proscription, a process that takes months of legal preparation for the Home Office. He told Global Player's Crime Agents podcast: 'This is a really difficult issue, and I think they [Palestine Action] may have done their own legs with the Brize Norton incursion. We all feel like we're on the edge of war, if not actually actively at war, in our support to Ukraine and what's happening in the Middle East with our most powerful ally, then you invade a military base, you are crossing a line there, there's no doubt about it.' Basu cited previous moves to proscribe al-Muhajiroun, the Islamic extremists, and National Action, a far-right organisation, as examples of how it took years to proscribe them but they were suddenly disabled once they had been added to the list of banned terrorist groups because it allowed counterterrorism policing and the intelligence agencies to target them and 'break them'. Making the case for lowering the bar for proscription, Basu said: 'Up until that point, they'd been a serious threat, so maybe the time is right to lower the bar, and we made mistakes in the past, and actually, it would be better to cut off a potentially extremist group before they've developed their reach and they've developed their narrative and they've developed the people they want to radicalise.'
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK protest group Palestine Action denies Iran funding as it faces ban
Palestine Action has condemned a briefing by Home Office officials that it could be funded by Iran as 'baseless smears'. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced on Monday plans to ban under anti-terrorism laws the protest group, which takes direct action against Israeli arms companies in the UK. She made no mention during her statement of suspected Iranian links but the Times reported that Home Office officials had said they were investigating whether the group is funded by Iran. A Palestine Action spokesperson said: 'This is a baseless investigation and ridiculous investigation. We are funded by ordinary people who support us. 'They are doing it because they don't believe that banning an organisation causing damage to weapons factories and companies who enable the production of weapons sits well with a lot of the public, and therefore they're trying to create a smear campaign in order to justify the proscription. 'You would think that politicians would want to vote based on hard facts. Instead, it's just saying you're investigating someone for X, Y, Z.' The group also pointed out that a crowdfunder posted on CrowdJustice on Tuesday afternoon, to raise £10,000 in legal fees to fight proscription, had raised over £5,000 in its first hour. It says that Gareth Peirce from Birnberg Peirce solicitors, who represented the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six, has been instructed to represent the group. The anonymous Home Office briefing about Iran came two days after the advocacy group We Believe in Israel tweeted: 'Behind Palestine Action's theatre of resistance stands a darker puppeteer: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps … Palestine Action is the mask. The IRGC is the face.' The only evidence it provided was saying that the IRGC's vocabulary 'echoes in Palestine Action's slogans'. We Believe in Israel launched a campaign to ban Palestine Action this month and language from a report it published was similar to that used by Cooper in her statement. The decision to proscribe the group – the first time such a proposal has been made in relation to a direct action protest group – came after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton on Friday and defaced two military aircraft with spray paint in an embarrassing security breach. The ban would place Palestine Action alongside the likes of al-Qaida, Islamic State and National Action, and make it a criminal offence to be a member of the group or show support for it. The proposal, which will go before parliament next week, has been heavily criticised by groups such as Amnesty International and Liberty. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Areeba Hamid, Greenpeace UK's co-executive director, said: 'Proscribing Palestine Action would be a grave mistake. Unlike al-Qaida, Wagner group and the other groups classed as 'terrorist organisations', Palestine Action does not advocate for violent armed action or for people to be harmed – they exist to decommission the weapons used to commit war crimes. Proscribing them would mark a dark turn for our democracy and a new low for a government already intent on stamping out the right to protest. 'The police already have laws to prosecute any individuals found guilty of a crime. And as a non-violent organisation with 'peace' in our name, we would never defend violence. But outlawing an entire organisation and all of its supporters would be a dangerous step.' The former justice secretary Charlie Falconer said on Sunday that the 'sort of demonstration' at Brize Norton would not justify proscription, 'so there must be something else that I don't know about'. Cooper's statement appeared to offer no new information about the group. It also referred to an action against 'a Jewish-owned business in north London' as neither 'legitimate or peaceful', but did not mention that Palestine Action said it targeted the business in question because it is registered as a landlord of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems UK's factory in Kent.
The National
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Kneecap fans raise £20k for legal battle amid terror charge
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year. Yesterday, the trio were cheered by hundreds of supporters as they arrived in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Dozens surged around the entrance of the court building as they made their way inside, with some also entering the lobby before the hearing, trying to get close to the Belfast trio. READ MORE: 'Israel has weaponised food': IDF kill 72 Palestinians, 29 waiting for aid trucks O hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. At the time of writing, more than £20,000 has been raised from 819 pledges. Organisers have set a target of raising £30,000 on CrowdJustice, which the campaign states 'will help cover legal fees and experts skilled in handling complex cases sensitive to artistic and free speech rights'. The CrowdJustice page states: "Kneecap's music and performances are premised on satire and absurdity. They are by their very existence bold and provocative, prompting necessary conversations around political and social issues. "The charges brought against him could set a chilling precedent that stifles creative freedom and dissuades artists from speaking out. Your support will help cover legal fees and experts skilled in handling complex cases sensitive to artistic and free speech rights." The trio are due to perform at festivals in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Hungary, Wales, Belgium and France, as well putting in a support slot at a high-profile show by Irish band Fontaines DC in Manchester, festivals in Europe in September, and a mostly sold-out American tour in autumn. The band were axed from Scotland's TRNSMT amid concerns raised by police over safety. They were due to perform at the festival on July 11 but organisers said the band would not be part of the line-up after concerns were expressed by police about safety at the event. Police Scotland said any decision on the line-up is for TRNSMT organisers, and that no prior consultation with the force was made before acts were booked.
New York Times
28-02-2025
- New York Times
U.S. hockey player Matt Petgrave re-bailed on suspicion of manslaughter over death of Adam Johnson
U.S. hockey player Matt Petgrave has been re-bailed until May following his arrest on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of Adam Johnson. Nottingham Panthers player Johnson, 29, died after being cut in the neck by a skate during a Challenge Cup match against the Sheffield Steelers on October 28, 2023, in what his club labelled a 'freak accident'. Advertisement In an unorthodox decision that raises questions over how far players should be held responsible for accidents such as this in sport, Petgrave was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in November 2023. He was later bailed and South Yorkshire Police confirmed he has now been re-bailed until May 29 2025. The investigation into the circumstances of Johnson's death remains ongoing. GO DEEPER 'We were performing while grieving': A year on from the tragedy that changed British hockey A South Yorkshire Police statement read: 'Any further updates or developments in this investigation ahead of the new bail expiry date will be issued proactively on our website. 'Our thoughts remain with Adam's family and friends.' Petgrave has never been named by UK police but a crowdfunding account purporting to belong to him was launched in December to help him fight the allegations of manslaughter. Petgrave was told to remain in the United Kingdom while the investigation was conducted. That bail has since been extended eight times — February 9, April 25, May 14, June 26, September 2, November 11, January 20 and most recently on February 28. A message posted by an account claiming to be him on CrowdJustice — an online platform where individuals or groups can appeal for money to fund legal action — reads: 'I am seeking help to cover some of my legal costs whilst I am subject to police bail, as well as additional costs if the matter proceeds to criminal court. Any remaining funds will be donated to initiatives that promote safety in hockey.' The message on the CrowdJustice page also claims that Petgrave is unable to work in the UK while he awaits a resolution to the police investigation. The Athletic has been unable to contact Petgrave to confirm whether the page is genuine. (Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
Sky News
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Waspi women threaten government with legal action over refusal to pay compensation
Waspi campaigners have threatened legal action against the government unless it reconsiders its decision to reject compensation. In December, the government said it would not be compensating millions of women born in the 1950s - known as Waspi women - who say they were not given sufficient warning of the state pension age for women being lifted from 60 to 65. It was due to be phased in over 10 years from 2010, but in 2011 was sped up to be reached by 2018, then rose to the age of 66 in 2020. A watchdog had recommended that compensation be paid to those affected, but Sir Keir Starmer said at the time that taxpayers could not afford what could have been a £10.5bn package. 2:26 On Monday, the Waspi campaign said it had sent a "letter before action" to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) warning the government of High Court proceedings if no action is taken. Angela Madden, chair of Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign group, said members will not allow the DWP's "gaslighting" of victims to go "unchallenged". She said: "The government has accepted that 1950s-born women are victims of maladministration, but it now says none of us suffered any injustice. We believe this is not only an outrage but legally wrong. "We have been successful before and we are confident we will be again. But what would be better for everyone is if the Secretary of State (Liz Kendall) now saw sense and came to the table to sort out a compensation package. "The alternative is continued defence of the indefensible but this time in front of a judge." The group has launched a £75,000 CrowdJustice campaign to fund legal action, and said the government has 14 days to respond before the case is filed. In the mid-1990s, the government passed a law to raise the retirement age for women over a 10-year period to make it equal to men. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in the early 2010s under David Cameron and Nick Clegg then sped up the timetable as part of its cost-cutting measures. In 2011, a new Pensions Act was introduced that not only shortened the timetable to increase the women's pension age to 65 by two years but also raised the overall pension age to 66 by October 2020 - saving the government around £30bn. About 3.6 million women in the UK were affected - as many complained they weren't appropriately notified of the changes and some only received letters about it 14 years after the legislation passed. While in opposition, Rachel Reeves, now the chancellor, and Liz Kendall, now pensions secretary, were among several Labour MPs who supported the Waspi women's campaign. The now-Chancellor said in a 2016 debate that women affected by the increase in state pension age had been "done and injustice" and urged the government to "think again". A government spokesperson said: "We accept the Ombudsman's finding of maladministration and have apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women. "However, evidence showed only one in four people remember reading and receiving letters that they weren't expecting and that by 2006, 90% of 1950s-born women knew that the state pension age was changing. "Earlier letters wouldn't have affected this. For these and other reasons, the government cannot justify paying for a £10.5 billion compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer."
