Latest news with #Murton
Middle East Eye
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK armed police threat to pro-Palestine protester branded 'dystopian'
Campaigners have described footage of a pro-Palestine protester being threatened with arrest by two British police officers "dystopian", saying it highlights the fear and confusion felt in the UK following the proscription of Palestine Action. On Monday evening, two armed officers from Kent Police, in the southeast of England, threatened 42-year-old Laura Murton with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and holding signs saying 'Free Gaza' and 'Israel is committing genocide'. In footage filmed in Canterbury by Murton and published by The Guardian, the officers can be heard asking the peaceful protester if she supports Palestine Action, the direct action group banned by the British government earlier this month. Murton says she does not, before one officer tells her that she might be breaking the law by expressing an 'opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation'. 'Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all comes under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government,' one of the officers says, adding that the phrase 'Free Gaza' is 'supportive of Palestine Action'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The officers tell Murton they will arrest her if she does not give them her name and address, which she does, reluctantly. Tim Crosland, a former British government lawyer and activist with campaign group Defend Our Juries, told Middle East Eye: 'This dystopian incident reveals the full totalitarian implications of the banning order against Palestine Action." 'Anyone in Britain publicly expressing opposition to the genocide of Palestinians is now at risk of arrest for terrorism offences,' he added. 'This dystopian incident reveals the full totalitarian implications of the banning order against Palestine Action' - Tim Crosland, former government lawyer Murton herself also described the experience as "authoritarian" and "dystopian", telling The Guardian that nothing she was displaying or saying "could be deemed as supportive of the proscribed group'. Nimer Sultany, a reader in law at Soas university in London, described "this action by Kent Police as clear evidence of the detrimental effects of the misguided use of counterterrorism law to police political speech and deter social activism. "It is an excessively overbroad interpretation of the proscription of one small group of activists and is thus an unreasonable and unlawful encroachment on the rights to protest, assembly and free speech," Sultany told MEE. Police confusion In an initial statement given to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Kent Police said: 'Under the Terrorism Act it is a criminal offence to carry or display items that may arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation such as Palestine Action.' But contacted by MEE, the police force seemed to have changed its view of the incident, with a spokesperson saying: 'Following a complaint about the behaviour of an individual on a traffic roundabout in Canterbury on Monday 14 July 2025, officers attended to investigate. Having ascertained no offences had been committed, no further action was taken.' In Ilford North, Leanne Mohamad and the British left set their sights on Labour Read More » Asked by MEE to confirm that Kent Police officers are not treating shows of Palestinian solidarity - including banners, scarves and flags - as potentially criminal acts, the spokesperson did not reply. MEE has also asked the Home Office to clarify the government's position but had received no official response by time of publication. Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), told MEE: 'A climate is being created, seemingly endorsed by the leadership of Kent Police and across the political establishment, that if you've got a Palestine flag, if you're talking about a genocide or calling for a free Gaza, then you can be subjected to this kind of treatment.' Jamal said the climate of repression around protest and Palestinian solidarity in Britain has 'never been this bad'. He said he thought the government was responding to 'the size of the movement that's grown in response to this genocide and the recognition across the British establishment that they're out of sync with public opinion, that they are complicit in supporting Israel's genocide'. 'In the UK, it's also part of a broader crackdown on the right to protest that began under the Conservative governments and has now accelerated under Labour,' Jamal said. Sultany said there was an "increasing sense of politicisation of the police force in Britain under the Labour government, as was clear from the Met's increasingly restrictive approach to the pro-Palestine protests in London". The legal scholar added that it was ironic that even though hardline former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman "is not in office any more, the Kent Police is granting her wish of seeking to effectively outlaw and ban the Palestinian flag and the anti-genocide slogans from the public sphere'. 'It's designed to intimidate' For more than 21 months, Israel has relentlessly bombed the besieged Gaza Strip, displacing the entire 2.3 million population multiple times, and killing more than 58,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Since the beginning of the war, hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated against it on a regular basis across Britain. Jamal said he thought the crackdown on protest - including the proscription of Palestine Action - "is designed to intimidate. It's designed to make people think they are doing something really toxic. 'The police say they will employ common sense, but this is often not our experience on the ground' - Ben Jamal, Palestine Solidarity Campaign 'This narrative has at its heart a deep anti-Palestinian racism. To call for rights of Palestinian people is seen as being barbaric and worthy of suspicion,' Jamal said. As one of the organisers of the national Palestine marches that have been taking place in cities across the UK, Jamal has had extensive dealings with police forces, particularly London's Metropolitan Police. On 18 January, the Met banned a march in London on the pretext that worshippers at a nearby synagogue would feel harassed. Jamal argued that the media environment around the marches - with protesters frequently accused of being antisemitic terrorist sympathisers, rather than ordinary people opposed to Israel's war on Gaza - and the police response to them were creating an environment in which some British Jews felt unsafe. Jamal said that police chiefs in London had told him that their officers would deploy 'common sense' on the ground, but that despite this he had witnessed them trying to break up a multifaith carol service and arresting people for straying into supposed "no-go zones". 'The police say they will employ common sense, but this is often not our experience on the ground,' he said.
The National
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
'Disturbed': MP hits out after armed police threaten Gaza protester
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield told The National that Laura Murton – who was told that condemning the genocide in Gaza constituted a terrorism offence – was expressing the widespread views of the public 'who are appalled by the actions of the current Israeli government'. Murton, 42, was holding a protest on a roundabout in Canterbury, Kent, on Monday and was approached by police officers who threatened her with arrest. She filmed the encounter, during which she was told by an officer: 'Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.' Duffield said: 'I am disturbed to see this apparently peaceful protestor told that she cannot express her lawfully held and legitimate political views. As far as I can tell, there was no overt support for any proscribed groups. It appears that Kent Police may have got their wires crossed on this occasion. 'The views expressed in this case are held by many of my constituents, who are appalled by the actions of the current Israeli Government and the horrendous impact it is having on innocent civilians in Gaza.' Murton told The Guardian she had not expressed support for the banned group Palestine Action and had given police no indication she was a supporter. READ MORE: Convicted fraudster sets up GoFundMe for Union Jack dress girl's father She said: 'I don't see how anything I was wearing, how anything I was displaying, anything I was saying, could be deemed as supportive of the proscribed group. 'It's terrifying, I was standing there thinking, this is the most [...] authoritarian, dystopian experience I've had in this country, being told that I'm committing terrorist offences by two guys with firearms. 'I ended up giving my details, and I really resent the fact I had to do that because I don't think that was lawful at all.' A Kent Police spokesperson previously told The Guardian: 'Under the Terrorism Act it is a criminal offence to carry or display items that may arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation such as Palestine Action.' Palestine Action became the first direct action group in British history to be banned under terror laws earlier this month for a raid on RAF Brize Norton where they spraypainted and damaged jet planes. The group's lawyers, during an unsuccessful bid to prevent the proscription order, warned that the ban would have a 'wide chilling effect on speech and assembly of those seeking to speak out against Israel's serious violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory'. After being contacted by The National, Kent Police said: "Following the behaviour of an individual on a traffic roundabout in Canterbury on Monday, July 14, 2025, officers attended to investigate. Having ascertained no offences had been committed, no further action was taken.' Kent Police later said officers attended 'following a complaint about the behaviour of an individual' and declined to respond to Duffield's comments.
The National
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Kent armed police threaten woman for holding Palestinian flag
One officer told Laura Murton, 42, that mentioning 'freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide' fell foul of terrorism laws and accused her of expressing support for the banned group Palestine Action, The Guardian reports. She was confronted by police in Canterbury, Kent, and when asked whether she supported any proscribed organisations, Murton replied 'I do not.' Murton said she had no signs mentioning Palestine Action. In the encounter, which she filmed, one officer said: 'Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.' He goes on to claim that 'Free Gaza' is 'supportive of Palestine Action', adding it was an offence 'to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act'. The officer accused her of committing a criminal offence. She reluctantly provided her name and address after being told she would otherwise be arrested, according to The Guardian. Murton told the paper: 'I don't see how anything I was wearing, how anything I was displaying, anything I was saying, could be deemed as supportive of the proscribed group.' 'It's terrifying, I was standing there thinking, this is the most authority, authoritarian, dystopian experience I've had in this country, being told that I'm committing terrorist offences by two guys with firearms.' 'I ended up giving my details, and I really resent the fact I had to do that because I don't think that was lawful at all.' Palestine Action were banned by Labour earlier this month, in an unprecedented crackdown on a direct action group. The ban came into force on July 5 after an unsuccessful legal bid by the group's co-founder Huda Ammori to gain an injunction. READ MORE: 12 countries agree concrete steps to halt Gaza genocide One of the police officers told Murton they were 'trying to be fair', adding: 'We could have jumped out, arrested you, dragged you off in a van.' The ban sparked warnings it would be used to restrict the free speech of people protesting the genocide in Gaza, with lawyers representing the group saying: 'Proscription of Palestine Action is highly likely to have a wide chilling effect on speech and assembly of those seeking to speak out against Israel's serious violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in Gaza.' Murton told The Guardian she had been motivated to protest because she 'can't handle' Palestinians being killed every day by Israel, in what the International Court of Justice has ruled is plausibly a genocide. (Image: Archive) International arrest warrants have also been issued for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (above) and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. She added: 'I can't handle sitting and doing nothing. Just showing up during rush hour to remind people that Palestine exists and that genocide is happening and try to keep it in the public consciousness – it wasn't motivated by anything other than that.' Tom Southerden, Amnesty International UK's law and human rights director, said the footage was 'very concerning', adding: 'We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. This video documents one aspect of exactly the kind of thing we were warning about.' A Kent police spokesperson said: 'Under the Terrorism Act it is a criminal offence to carry or display items that may arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation such as Palestine Action.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'I hide tanning jabs in my room and use sunbeds four times a week - I cry after every session but still go back because it's the only thing that makes me feel confident'
A teenage sunbed addict says her mum was forced to beg local salons to stop serving her after finding tanning injections hidden in a pickle jar in her bedroom. Megan Blain, 19, admits she cries with guilt after every session but still visits salons up to four times a week, saying she feels anxious and 'not herself' if her skin tone lightens even slightly. The aspiring stewardess, from Murton, County Durham, says her obsession began at 16 after she was bullied at school and has since spiralled into a full-blown dependency on sunbeds, supplements and banned injections to keep her skin as dark as possible. Despite visible signs of damage, including new moles and premature lines on her face, Megan says she has continued regardless. She has even turned down job offers because she didn't feel 'dark enough'. Her mum Elisha, meanwhile, has been left so worried she contacted salons across the region in a bid to cut off her daughter's supply. She told MailOnline: 'I won't have anyone suggest that what I'm suffering isn't an addiction - it is and it's ruining my life. I don't want anyone else to go through what is happening to me. I know that I'm being self-destructive by going on the sunbeds day after day but I just can't stop. 'What really scares me is that I can see sunbed use rising among younger people and that all comes down to TikTok. There has been a rise in influencers who have a dark tan all year round and that look is becoming fashionable again. 'People have known for years the damage that sunbeds can do but I'm seeing girls of 15 going into sunbed shops because they want to look like the people they see online.' Megan says her habit began by secretly using her mum's sunbed in the garage, carefully topping up the electricity meter each time so she wouldn't be caught. 'I knew Mam would be furious if she knew what I was doing so I was very careful,' she said. 'I hoped that she'd think I was still using fake tan, but one day she saw me getting changed and saw the tan lines and realised what I had been doing.' Things escalated when Elisha discovered syringes hidden in a pickle jar while preparing a cheeseboard - and immediately began contacting local beauticians to warn them not to sell her daughter tanning injections. Megan said: 'She messaged loads of salons to tell them not to sell me the injections but I have to admit that I've carried on taking them. I feel bad going behind her back because I know she's so worried about me and I feel bad for causing that anxiety - but I just can't stop.' Now, she says the damage is already starting to show. 'There are moles that have appeared over the past two years that weren't there before and at 19 I have lines in my forehead that shouldn't be there,' she said. 'The signs of skin damage are there and they're obvious - but I still go back. 'If I try not to go on the beds, I feel depressed and anxious. And yet when I do go on them I cry after every session. I think it's through guilt because I know that what I'm doing is causing so much damage.' As well as using injections, Megan has experimented with tanning supplements - including beta-carotene tablets and even grated carrots in the hope they would darken her complexion. She says the obsession has taken over every part of her life. 'I was offered a job working on fairground rides but I didn't feel tanned enough to face so many people,' she said. 'I couldn't even go to my prom because my date said I looked too dark and he didn't want to take me any more.' Megan has reduced her sunbed usage to four times a week and is now using her platform on TikTok to warn 'the younger generation' about the dangers of sunbed addiction Megan says she has twice booked appointments with her GP but was too anxious to attend. 'There's no escaping it - on my street alone there are three sunbed shops, so the reminders are always there,' she said. 'I've made appointments with the doctor twice but couldn't go through with them. I was so anxious about what they would say that I couldn't leave the house.' She is currently studying travel and tourism at Sunderland College and dreams of becoming an air stewardess - but says her main goal is to leave the sunbeds behind for good. 'I want to experience the real world, that's my absolute goal,' she said. 'If one person reads my story and decides not to use a sunbed, I'll feel like I've achieved something.'
