Latest news with #NationalAction
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ban on Palestine Action would have ‘chilling effect' on other protest groups
The crackdown on protest in England and Wales has been ringing alarm bells for years, but the decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws raises the stakes dramatically. As the group itself has said, it is the first time the government has attempted to proscribe a direct action protest organisation under the Terrorism Act, placing it alongside the likes of Islamic State, al-Qaida and National Action. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the proposed ban was evidence-based and had been assessed by a wide range of experts. 'In several attacks, Palestine Action has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the government,' she said. Proscribing the group, which uses direct action mainly to target Israeli weapons factories in the UK, would make it illegal not only to be a member of Palestine Action but to show support for it. Given that neither its methods nor its targets are unprecedented, a ban is likely to make every group which has an aim of 'progressing its political cause and influencing the government' through protest think twice. Greenpeace UK's co-executive director, Areeba Hamid, said a ban 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.' Laws passed in recent years have already increased police powers to restrict and shut down protests. At the same time, protesters have often been gagged from telling juries what motivated their actions and received record prison sentences. The final straw for ministers appears to have been the embarrassing security breach at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday, in which two Palestine Action activists broke in and sprayed two military planes with red paint. But protesters have caused criminal damage to military facilities in the past and even been acquitted for it, while Cooper herself admitted it might not amount to terrorism. Before becoming prime minister, Keir Starmer successfully defended protesters who broke into an RAF base in 2003 to stop US bombers heading to Iraq. He argued that it was lawful because their intention was to prevent war crimes. Palestine Action said that pro-Israel groups had lobbied for the ban and there is evidence to support that contention. Internal government documents released under freedom of information laws have revealed meetings, apparently to discuss Palestine Action, between the government and Israeli embassy officials, although they were heavily redacted. Ministers have also met representatives from the Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems. The organisation We Believe in Israel, which Labour MP Luke Akehurst used to be director of, began a campaign this month to ban Palestine Action. In an accompanying report, it stated: 'In July 2022, the group was investigated under counter-terrorism protocols following intelligence suggesting contact between some of its members and individuals linked to Hamas-aligned networks abroad (see: Metropolitan Police briefing, classified). 'While the investigation yielded no direct terror charges, it underscored the degree of concern shared by law enforcement agencies over Palestine Action's increasingly radicalised behaviour.' It is not clear how or why We Believe in Israel was granted access to classified documents. There was no reference to links to Hamas in Cooper's statement but she did refer to Palestine Action as threatening infrastructure which supports Ukraine and Nato, echoing language in We Believe in Israel's report. With the government already unpopular among many over its stance on Gaza, the planned ban risks looking like it is based on Palestine Action's cause rather than its methods. Akiko Hart, Liberty director, said: 'Proscribing a direct-action protest group in this way potentially sets a new precedent for what we do and do not treat as terrorism. 'We're worried about the chilling effect this would have on the thousands of people who campaign for Palestine, and their ability to express themselves and take part in protests. Proscribing Palestine Action would mean that showing support for them in any way – for example, sharing a post on social media or wearing a logo – could carry a prison sentence.'
BBC News
10-03-2025
- BBC News
Gateshead man who spread 'vile' racism given suspended term
A man who posted "vile" racist and anti-Semitic videos online has been spared jail because a judge said a brain injury made him susceptible to Cole, 48, shared videos from banned far-right terrorist groups, repeatedly called for the mass deportation of ethnic minorities and posted torrents of white supremacist, neo-Nazi and anti-Jewish rhetoric on social media platforms over several months, Newcastle Crown Court such "repugnant" material would normally result in lengthy jail terms but Cole's case was "exceptional", recorder Paul Sloan from Gateshead admitted six counts of stirring up racial tension and was jailed for a year suspended for two years. Cole set up accounts on social media platforms including GETTR and Telegram from which he repeatedly shared racist pictures and messages between December 2022 and July 2023, prosecutor Ashleigh Metcalfe said there were too many posts to count but they included videos from a National Action rally in Darlington in 2016, shortly before the group was added to the proscribed list of terrorist his posts, Cole shared a "catalogue of anti-Semitic and racist memes" as well as slogans and phrases used by white supremacists and Neo-Nazis, the court heard. 'Did not intend hatred' There were also homophobic and transphobic messages as well as repeated references to white people becoming extinct and calls to "protect ourselves", the court Cole's home was raided in July 2023, counter-terrorism police found a copy of Hitler's autobiography Mein Kampf while Nazi writings and a Swastika had been scrawled on a wall, the court of East Hill Road, admitted the offences on the basis he had not intended to stir up racial hatred, but accepted his posts could have done that, the court heard. 'Baseball ball attack' Recorder Sloan said the decision by prosecutors to accept that basis of plea may seem "incomprehensible" but it was "entirely correct and appropriate" in Cole's said Cole's messages were "vile, sickening and abhorrent" and "ordinarily anyone posting such repugnant material can expect to go to prison for a long time".But, he said, Cole's was an "exceptional case" and the defendant had a "long and documented history of mental health issues none of which are of [his] making".These included being exposed to childhood traumas, including witnessing the death of a friend when he was 13 leaving him with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health 2006 Cole was attacked with a baseball bat leaving him with skull and facial fractures and significant brain injuries, the court heard. 'Wiping away tears' Recorder Sloan said Cole became "totally isolated", paranoid and agoraphobic and his brain injury had, "through no fault" of his own, made him "extremely vulnerable to indoctrination" and "accepting beliefs uncritically".The judge said Cole became "fixated" on beliefs and had "no insight whatsoever" into the impact of his Sloan said it was noteworthy that for 10 years he had lived in a diverse community and his neighbour, a man of African descent, could "not speak highly enough" of had always been "kind" and respectful and never used racial language towards the man or any other people from ethnic minorities, the judge Sloan said Cole was "genuinely remorseful" and had been wiping away tears throughout the court court heard he was getting mental health treatment."The public would be better protected if the good work already undertaken can be combined with the efforts of the probation service and can be continued in your case," the judge told Cole. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
