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Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Revoke Palestine Action activist's passport, former extremism tsar urges Cooper
Yvette Cooper should revoke the passport of a pro-Palestine Action activist, Labour's former anti-extremism tsar has said. Moazzam Begg, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, was arrested at a demonstration in Westminster last week after holding a sign declaring his support for the proscribed organisation. His passport has been revoked three times since he returned to Britain in 2005 from US custody, where he had been detained on suspicion of being a member of al-Qaeda. Lord Walney, who was dismissed as the Government's independent adviser on political violence and disruption in February, has now urged the Home Secretary to consider revoking Mr Begg's passport for a fourth time. 'While she awaits charging decisions from the Met, the Home Secretary will surely want to consider taking Moazzam Begg's passport off him again,' the peer told The Telegraph. 'Begg's long history of terror-related controversy underlines the malign nature of the ongoing attempt to overwhelm the criminal justice system after the proscription of Palestine Action. 'Justice needs to be served swiftly to send a message that protestors cannot trample the rule of law in the UK.' The Home Secretary can withdraw the passport of any citizen on national security grounds. Such individuals remain British nationals, but are unable to travel abroad and find it more difficult to prove their citizenship. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, backed Lord Walney's position. 'No chances should be taken with Moazzam Begg while a charging decision is made about his apparent support for Palestine Action,' he said. 'Let's not forget that Palestine Action uses violence to try to force its views on others. 'This has included smashing up property, vandalising RAF aircraft and attacking a police officer with a sledgehammer.' Birmingham-born Mr Begg, a dual British-Pakistani national, was detained in Pakistan in 2002 and handed over to American authorities in Afghanistan. Suspected of being a member of al-Qaeda, he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay the following year. He has alleged that he was tortured in the facility and witnessed the murders of other detainees. Mr Begg was released from US custody in 2005 following pressure from the British government, but later received a settlement after suing UK authorities for alleged complicity in his detention. Upon his return to Britain, he was stripped of his passport on two occasions, the first between 2005 and 2009 and the second from 2014 until 2021. He had been arrested in 2014 on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities linked to the conflict in Syria and charged with seven offences. But the case against him was subsequently dropped when it emerged that the security services had known of and consented to his travel to Syria. He has never been found guilty of any terror-related offence. In 2021 he received a passport, only for it to be withdrawn for a third time four weeks later. The following year, then home secretary Priti Patel decided he could apply for a new one. After returning to Britain in 2005, Mr Begg became an author and public speaker and also joined Cage International as a senior director. Before his arrest, he had called on Muslims to attend protests to declare their support for Palestine Action. Speaking at a meeting in Birmingham, Mr Begg said Islam placed a responsibility on followers to change what they believed was unjust, adding: 'There is strength in numbers, stop being a coward – cowards never win battles.
Telegraph
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Protesters presented themselves as peaceniks, but ugliness lurked below the surface
As Moazzam Begg sat on a wall in Parliament Square, holding a yellow rose and a white sign reading 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' in neat black lettering, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a spontaneous moment of quiet defiance. But in fact, the arrest of the former Guantanamo Bay detainee on Saturday was the culmination of days of careful planning meant to send a message – that protesters were able to overwhelm the police as they sought to challenge the Government's decision to brand Palestine Action a terror organisation. With 365 arrests and counting as the protest wound up, it was not clear that Mr Begg's side had succeeded in that aim. Mr Begg remained silent during his arrest. But comments from others in the crowd shattered the apparent dignity of the moment and revealed a deep hostility towards the police and the state of Israel. As police led Mr Begg into a waiting van, one protester shouted: 'Pigs! Get your hands off Moazzam! Get your hands off Moazzam, you f------ pigs!' Another protester, a wheelchair-using pensioner who travelled from Reading to display a sign reading 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' at the demonstration, told The Telegraph he was 'sure' the Government had been 'paid by the Israeli embassy' to proscribe the group. There is no evidence to support this claim. The 77-year-old man, who gave his name only as Frank, said he hoped the protest would help get Palestine Action de-proscribed. 'My aim is to show that when the law is a complete ass, you need to do something to resist it. And proscribing Palestine Action is one of the stupidest actions the Government has ever taken.' He also admitted to feeling uneasy at the prospect of being arrested. 'I've never been arrested before, I'm quite terrified to be honest. But we have to stand up to genocide, oppression, and taking away our freedom of assembly, our freedom of speech,' he said. Saturday's Palestine Action demonstration had been staged to appear organic, as if hundreds had simply converged opposite Parliament at 1pm, each with a handmade sign declaring support for the banned group. In reality, as The Telegraph has previously revealed, the event was anything but spontaneous. At a meeting in Birmingham last week, groups including Cage International and Defend Our Juries planned the protest, with Mr Begg urging the Muslim community to join in the act of defiance. 'Those from the Muslim community, we have a massive presence in this city, and we must engage our leaders, our imams, our habibs, those in positions of power, to join, there is strength in numbers, stop being a coward, cowards never win battles,' he said. The first of two pro-Palestine demonstrations in London on Saturday began around 11am, with activists co-ordinated by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War assembling at Russell Square. Protesters on this march, which set off at midday for Downing Street, appeared less eager to risk arrest under terrorism laws. While some chanted 'Intifada! Intifada, long live intifada', there were no visible signs explicitly backing Palestine Action. In the Russell Square station lift, a group of demonstrators discussed the risks of declaring support for the newly proscribed group. 'Hopefully I won't be arrested – because I've got a sign that says, 'I support Palestine Action',' one told a friend. 'But there's a twist to it though, it's got a full stop in it.' He remarked that an arrest would spoil his evening, as he planned to attend a poetry reading in support of the Palestinian cause at 7pm. For many activists participating in Saturday's demonstration, the idea of expressing support for a proscribed terror group was a new departure. But this was not universally true. Outside Russell Square Tube station, Majid Novsarka, also known as Majid Freeman, told The Telegraph he had already been charged under the Terrorism Act last year, not for supporting Palestine Action, but for allegedly supporting Hamas. Mr Novsarka, who denies all wrongdoing, said: 'I would never support a proscribed group.' 'I support the international law that every people have the right to armed resistance, especially if there's no one coming to the rescue and saving the day,' he added. Mr Novsarka said he was unable to attend the second demonstration that day, over in Parliament Square, a restriction he clearly resented, describing the Russell Square demonstration as 'dead' and 'boring'. 'The real place you want to be is Parliament Square. The only reason I am not there is because of my bail conditions. My solicitor said: 'Stay away!'' he said. Over in Parliament Square, it quickly became apparent that this was a pro-Palestine protest unlike any London has witnessed before. At about 12.30pm, supporters of the banned group began to reveal their signs. Officers moved in almost immediately, for one of the largest mass arrests for decades. The first arrest was William Hancock, from Kingston upon Thames. Asked why he thought he was being arrested, Mr Hancock initially replied: 'I don't know. I think it's a bit odd.' He then explained that he had held up a sign supporting Palestine Action. 'It's because I oppose genocide in Palestine,' he said. Under the blazing midday sun, the scale of the challenge facing police became clear, with between 500 to 600 protesters gathered on the grass opposite Parliament, many holding up near-identical white posters reading: 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.' The Metropolitan Police – their numbers boosted by officers shipped in from forces across the country – began arresting supporters of the proscribed group one by one. For the first dozen detentions, officers searched each protester's belongings and sealed them in plastic bags. As the afternoon wore on, this step was abandoned, with police cordoning off the main group of protesters in the middle of Parliament Square before a team of officers moved in as a unit to seize their target, often carrying them to the van as they went limp in resistance. One young man in a blue T-shirt and brown trousers went rigid as officers counted 'three, two, one' before hoisting him into the air. The Palestine Action supporter then raised aloft his sign in support of the proscribed group as he was carried off. Each arrest drew applause and cheers from fellow demonstrators, who shouted: 'Thank you for your courage! We applaud your bravery.' At the same time, they booed and jeered the police, calling 'shame!' and 'what will you tell your kids you got up to at work today?' and telling officers they were 'on the wrong side of history'. Undeterred, police pressed on, detaining at least 365 people by late afternoon. As vans carrying Palestine Action supporters pulled away, those left behind applauded. It was meant to be a demonstration of victory in the campaign to get Palestine Action de-proscribed. But police will be hoping that instead, their arrests deal a hammer blow to support for the group.
Telegraph
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Police urged to investigate former Guantanamo prisoner over Palestine Action comments
The police have 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 a planned mass demonstration this weekend in support of the terror group. Under the plans, first disclosed by The Telegraph, at least 500 people are expected to gather in London and other cities on Saturday with the intention of deliberately flouting terror laws by publicly declaring their support for Palestine Action. 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.' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Inciting people to support Palestine Action is clearly an offence and the police should investigate and make an arrest where this has happened. 'Palestine Action uses violence instead of debate and argument. 'In this country we decide issues through debate and elections, not mob violence. No one should be advocating support for violence on our streets.' The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone showing support for the group 'can expect to be arrested'. Under the 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 are being coordinated by the campaign group, Defend Our Juries, with the support of Cage International, for which Mr Begg is a senior director. Speaking at a meeting where the plans were discussed, the 57-year-old father of four, who spent three years in US detention on suspicion of being a member of Al Qaeda, urged Muslims to support the action. He said that Islam placed a responsibility on followers to change what they believed was unjust. adding: 'There is strength in numbers, stop being a coward, cowards never win battles'. He told those attending: 'It reminds me that in Islam we have this concept of 'Fard Kifayah', which means the duty of the many, and the sufficient. 'Rather, if nobody does it, everyone is guilty. but if enough people do it, it lifts the burden from everyone else. And they are leading on this because it is from Islamic principles from whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, that' s a prophetic saying. 'All Palestinians know that if you see an evil change it with your hand, if you are unable to do so speak out against it. Isn't Palestine Action doing that?' Mr Begg went on: 'I would urge everybody to join the action of the 9th of August. That is the first step to take for the resistance.' He later told attendees: 'Dig in, fight for your rights and fight for the rights of people being oppressed.' Mr Begg, who has dual British Pakistani citizenship, was detained by the US authorities In 2002 on suspicion of being a member of Al Qaeda. He spent three years in custody during which he alleged he was tortured and witnessed the murders of other detainees. He was released from US custody in 2005 following pressure from the UK government but later received a settlement after suing the British authorities for alleged complicity in his detention. Following his release he became an author and public speaker and also joined Cage International as a senior director. Publicly declaring support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, punishable by up to 14-years in prison. Around 200 people have already been arrested for declaring their support for Palestine Action, but organisers of this weekend's protest believe encouraging thousands to follow their lead will effectively overwhelm the police and the criminal justice system. If Mr Begg's call for members of the Muslim community to join the action is heeded, the numbers turning up could swell considerably. In a briefing document issued to those considering taking part organisers say: 'It would be practically and politically difficult for the state to respond to an action on this scale.' But Scotland Yard has stressed that anyone who breaks the law can expect to be arrested. 'Our officers will apply the law' A Met Police spokesman said: 'We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system. 'The Met is very experienced in dealing with large scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. 'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality. 'Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.' A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council added: 'Policing is committed to upholding and facilitating the right to peaceful protest. Where possible, we will work with event organisers and any other affected groups to facilitate protests and minimise serious disruption to communities. 'We have robust and well-tested proactive plans in place, with the ability to mobilise significant and specialist resources, if necessary. 'Public order response officers will be supported by investigation teams who will gather evidence and ensure those responsible for any acts of criminality, should they occur, are identified and held to account.' Palestine Action was proscribed by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, on July 5 after a group of its members allegedly entered RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft. 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. Since Palestine Action was proscribed, about 200 people have been arrested on suspicion of supporting the group, but so far, none have been charged. It is thought prosecutors are waiting for the outcome of the legal challenge before they make a decision on whether to press ahead and put people before the courts.
Telegraph
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour's Gaza mess is only worsening
Sir Keir Starmer's Government is digging itself into an ever deeper hole over its plan to recognise Palestine as a state. At home, this cowardly gesture has unleashed a hornets' nest; abroad, it has gratified the butchers of Hamas. Supporters of Palestine Action, which was proscribed after its attack on RAF Brize Norton, are calling for mass civil disobedience next Saturday in order to 'overwhelm' the police and courts. One of their leaders is Moazzam Begg, who spent three years as a detainee in Guantanamo Bay. Speaking in Birmingham at the weekend, Mr Begg told what he called 'the resistance' that 'we have a massive presence in this city' and must 'engage our leaders, our imams, our habits, those in positions of power, to join, there is strength in numbers'. In 2010 Mr Begg was paid an undisclosed sum in compensation for his time in Guantanamo, reported at the time to be £1m or more. In 2014 he was arrested for Syria-related terrorism offences, although charges were subsequently dropped. Will he now once more face the law? Supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation such as Palestine Action is a criminal offence. Meanwhile, those who warned against rewarding Hamas for rape, massacre and hostage-taking have been vindicated. Last week, Basem Naim, one of the terrorist organisation's leaders, exulted in the UK's support for the Palestinian cause: 'Victory and liberation are closer than we expected.' Hamas is still running Gaza; British recognition of Palestine would hand them a huge propaganda victory. Yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman refused to say whether such a state would be recognised if Hamas remains in control of Gaza. Downing Street repeats the mantra that ' Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza '. But it insists that it cannot make recognition conditional on the actions of Hamas, a terrorist group, as the UK does not negotiate with terrorists and such demands would be tantamount to negotiation. Conditions seemingly only apply to democratic states. The legal knots in which this Government has tied itself would be comical if the consequences were not so tragic. Starmer and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, are both lawyers to their fingertips. Yet they have conjured up a policy that is legally incoherent, morally indefensible and pleases nobody.
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exposed: Palestine Action supporters' plot to overwhelm police
Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters are planning to flout terror laws in a co-ordinated attempt to overwhelm the police, The Telegraph can reveal. Campaigners have hatched a plot for Left-wing activists and members of the Muslim community to attend a demonstration on Saturday declaring support for Palestine Action, the recently banned terror group. To do so would be an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. More than 200 people have been arrested for expressing support for the group since July 5. Last week, one of the co-founders of Palestine Action won the right to challenge the legality of the ban. Now, campaigners plan to confront the criminal justice system en masse to test whether the law can be enforced if thousands of protesters descend on London. The move would ramp-up pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, who is simultaneously battling a 25-year High Court backlog and a chronic shortage of prison spaces. Protests are planned for towns and cities across the UK, but the main event will take place in Westminster where thousands are being urged to attend and deliberately flout the terror legislation. The Telegraph can now expose the plan, co-ordinated by a number of groups including Cage International and Defend Our Juries, after attending a pro-Palestine event last week. At the meeting, hosted by Cage International in Birmingham, Moazzam Begg, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, called on the Muslim community to join in the act of defiance and declare their support for Palestine Action. He told supporters: 'I would urge everybody to join the action of the 9th of August. That is the first step to take for the resistance. 'Those from the Muslim community, we have a massive presence in this city, and we must engage our leaders, our Imams, our habibs, those in positions of power, to join, there is strength in numbers, stop being a coward, cowards never win battles.' The meeting was attended by about 30 to 40 supporters, some of whom wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and flags. The evening was billed by Shezana Hafiz, a Cage International representative, as an opportunity to 'discuss crucial matters that pertain to our movement – a movement to liberate Palestine, to crush Zionism and see an end to the genocide in Gaza'. During the meeting, Angie Zelter, from Defend Our Juries, urged people to take part in the co-ordinated action, telling attendees: 'Together we can and must face down the rising tide of fascism in Britain.' She said people were starting to see 'an arrest for terrorism as a badge of honour'. In a briefing document, drafted by Defend Our Juries and seen by The Telegraph, those considering taking part are warned: 'Joining this campaign comes with risk.' But the document goes on to say: 'It would be practically and politically difficult for the state to respond to an action on this scale. 'Even assuming it had the physical capacity to arrest so many people on the same day, the political fallout from such an operation would be incalculable, causing irreparable damage to the reputation of the Government and the police. 'Our assessment is that an action on this scale could be enough for the ban to be lifted. 'Charging and prosecuting at least 500 more people, in addition to the 200 people already arrested, is likely to be beyond the capacity of the state, given the current situation in the criminal justice system.' Volunteers are told to bring their own blank placard and a thick marker pen, and when in place to write the words: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' They are advised: 'Although there's a substantial risk of arrest, and all taking part should be prepared for that, no-one has yet been charged with an offence and no-one has been remanded to prison.' Experts have warned that the action could create a significant headache for police forces if thousands of people deliberately break the law in a co-ordinated campaign. Graham Wettone, a retired Metropolitan Police officer with many years experience working in public order policing, said: 'There are a limited number of custody cell spaces available in London and as we saw a couple of years ago with Just Stop Oil, these can fill up quickly. 'The Met may seek to take some of those arrested outside of the capital but there is no doubt that if thousands of people turn up and take part it will test the system to the limit. Simply put, they will not be able to arrest and process everyone.' The courts backlog is running at a 25-year high, with about 77,000 cases waiting to be heard and some trials being listed for 2027. Last year, Labour's early release scheme freed thousands of prisoners who were 40 per cent of the way through their sentence, rather than halfway. Legal challenge against proscription Palestine Action was outlawed by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, on July 5 after a group of its members allegedly entered RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft. 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. Of the 200 or so people who have been arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action since its proscription, none have yet been charged. It is thought that prosecutors are waiting for the outcome of the legal challenge before they make a decision on whether to put people before the courts. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. 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