On September 8, the General Secretary of the “Trade Union Solidarity Network,” Revaz Karanadze, released a video statement in which he claimed that the UK had passed a law prohibiting support for Palestine and expressions of solidarity. According to him, on the basis of this law, many people were arrested during peaceful protests, including persons with disabilities and army veterans. The second part of the video shows footage of British police arresting two men.
The claim that the UK has passed a law banning support for Palestine is manipulative. In reality, expressions of solidarity with Palestine are not restricted in the country. In July, under anti-terrorism legislation, the group Palestine Action (PA) was banned, and consequently, membership in or public support for this organization was also prohibited. The majority of those arrested are charged specifically with publicly supporting PA.
- Why were citizens arrested in the UK?
In July, under UK anti-terrorism legislation, Palestine Action (PA) was banned, and membership in or support for it became a criminal offense. This decision sparked protests from part of society, who organized numerous demonstrations in support of the organization over the past two months. On September 6, police arrested 857 people. Most of them were charged with supporting the banned PA, while 33 were charged with assaulting law enforcement officers or other offenses.
One of the men shown in the video circulated on Facebook is 62-year-old Mike Higgins, who is blind and requires a wheelchair for mobility. On August 9, during a protest in London, he held a banner reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” According to him, police asked if he knew what was written on his banner, and after he confirmed, he was arrested under anti-terrorism law. Higgins was later released on bail.
The second man shown in the Facebook video was arrested during the September 6 protest. He is Steve Masters, a veteran of the UK Air Force. As in Higgins’ case, the reason for his arrest was public support for PA, since he too was holding a banner with identical wording. He believes that banning Palestine Action completely undermines the value of the terrorism prohibition order and therefore supports the organization.
Palestine Action
Founded in 2020, PA’s declared main goal is to disrupt Israel’s armament, which led them to repeatedly break into military factories in the UK owned by Israeli companies, as well as other facilities they considered linked to Israel’s military industry, causing millions of pounds’ worth of damage. The decision to ban the organization followed an incident in which several of its members infiltrated a Royal Air Force base and damaged two aircraft.
According to the UK government, Palestine Action has crossed the line between protest and sabotage. Authorities note that PA has a history of “unacceptable criminal damage.” As a result of the decision under anti-terrorism law, public support for the group was also automatically banned, which can be punishable by up to 14 years in prison. It is noteworthy that the UK has faced criticism for this decision – including from UN representatives. It should also be mentioned that the UK Supreme Court has accepted a lawsuit filed by Palestine Action against the ban on their activities. The hearing is scheduled for September 25.
Thus, the UK has not passed a law banning support for Palestine. Under anti-terrorism legislation, it is membership in and support for Palestine Action that has been prohibited. The individuals shown in Revaz Karanadze’s video were present specifically at a rally in support of PA.
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