Solidarity with all journalists, academics and activists facing state persecution for showing humanity and endorsing international law
Jewish left-wing writer and anti-genocide activist Tony Greenstein has been charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which used to be (badly) run by Britain’s ardently Zionist prime minister Keir Starmer.
The development comes shortly after Starmer claimed he and his government would work to protect the freedom of journalists worldwide against state persecution. It also follows hot on the heels of an outcry among press outlets about a police interview of a right-wing columnist for anti-Muslim hate speech, but the UK ‘mainstream’ media have been silent about Starmer’s escalating war on pro-Palestinian journalists and activists, many of them Jewish.
Greenstein attended today to be formally charged under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 – the same section of the badly-drafted legislation that was abused to arrest, and seize the electronic devices of, British journalist Richard Medhurst in August. concerning supposed ‘support for a proscribed organisation’. Other sections of the legislation were misused to raid, arrest or detain journalist Sarah Wilkinson, Jewish academic Prof Haim Bresheeth, journalist Asa Winstanley, journalist and former UK ambassador Craig Murray and others, as Starmer’s state apparatus tries to silence pro-Palestinian dissent and the exposure of Israel’s continual war crimes.
Greenstein received an email from the CPS instructing him to attend Brighton Police Station to be charged on one count under the Act, but attended today because of hospital treatment:
Greenstein recently had a victory in court when he successfully overturned punitive bail conditions imposed on him after his separate arrest at an anti-genocide protest outside the London residence of far-right Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely.
Greenstein wrote of attempted entrapment by supporters of Israel to make a comment supporting Hamas, an organisation proscribed by the UK:
My arrest was for a tweet I made on 15 November 2023 by someone identifying himself only as James who demanded:
“Just tweet I support Hamas!’ 3 words is all you have to tweet and then we know where you stand.”
I refused to take the bait and responded “I support the Palestinians that is enough” before going on to say ‘I support Hamas against the Israeli army’. As I told my police interrogators after my arrest I would have supported the devil against Israel’s genocidal army.
Under international law, Palestinians as an illegally occupied people have a recognised legal right to resistance, including armed resistance. Keir Starmer, David Lammy and other Cabinet members, in contrast, continue to avoid condemning Israeli atrocities and are even prevaricating and obfuscating about whether the UK will arrest wanted Israeli war criminals Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
Greenstein told Skwawkbox:
I’ve been charged under the notorious s.12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 with expressing an opinion or belief in support of a proscribed organisation’.
It is clear that this is a clear attack on the right of people to express their opinions on the right of Palestinians to resist the genocidal Israeli military. It is perfectly fine to support Israel’s genocidal massacres but it is an offence to support any resistance.
This absurd situation is akin to criminalising the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France. It is criminalising political opinion and has nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism. Suffice to say I shall be mounting a vigorous defence in support of Free Speech on Palestine.
A new film out in December, Censoring Palestine, examines the UK state’s war on journalism concerning Israel’s crimes. No arrests or charges of supporters of Israel’s genocide have been made since the genocide began, despite the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli genocidaires and the International Court of Justice and United Nations rulings against Israel’s genocide.
Solidarity with Tony Greenstein and all who are standing up against genocide, crimes against humanity, occupation and apartheid.
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Love the sign-off:
‘We’re going to charge you under the Terrorism Act
Kind regards
Chris’
Yes, that was my first thought. And “…the result will be disappointing for you”. Doesn’t quite cover it does it!
What an utter travesty.
The original tweeter – ‘james’ – has written they support hamas….gonna nick & charge them?
Or doesn’t what ‘james’ wrote, raise any flags?
If not, why not?
If Tony can be deliberately taken out of context then so can ‘james’.
Utter bullshit. A total waste of the court’s time. Meanwhile, REAL criminals – rapists and violent offenders – aren’t serving their full sentences EXACTLY because of this sort of bollocks.
But keef was dpp….ffs.
Meanwhile, Labour lost another local authority seat they once held yesterday in the Woodhouse Ward of Sheffield:
https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-by-election-result-libdem-teenager-beats-reform-candidate-by-just-10-votes-in-woodhouse-ward-4888567
The seat was won by a nineteen year old university student for the lib-dems who beat Reform by just 10 votes.
Labour trailed in third:
WOODHOUSE WARD BY-ELECTION FULL RESULT
Joshua Andrew Crapper, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, 56 votes;
Saj Ghafur, Labour Party, 650;
Samuel Hemsley, Conservative Party, 153;
Andy Hizzard, Reform UK, 1,008;
Matthew Leese, Social Democratic Party, 33;
Willis James Marshall, Liberal Democrats, 1,018;
Hannah Kate Nicklin, Green Party, 168.
Turnout: 3,092 votes (24.16%)
“The main issue people were talking about during the election was the cut in the winter fuel allowance and the treatment of old age pensioners by the government.
“People voted for change in the general election and so they felt it was more of the same – the politicians had a different-coloured tie and more of the same policies.”
Says it all really.
Red and Blue Tories finished, the Uni party going down the pan
Huzzah
Sheffield S E constituency where the Reform Party did not stand in July.
Labour saw off a challenge from Corbyn-supporter in Corbyn’s own constituency but a creditable result though for the challenger.
Labour’s support dropping substantially just about everywhere.
No one even raises the question why is Hamas proscribed as a ‘terrorist’ organisation? They are not at war with the British or even been going after British targets, just those of the colonial state. As bad as Britsh actions against indigenous peoples of empire have been, at least those in resistance in India, Kenya were in conflict with British forces. Surely this is another case of the Americans shouting ‘jump’ and British politicans saying ‘would you like us bent over, while doing it?’
I have no truck with Hamas but I dislike the use of the word “antisemitism” to smear or silence criticism by anyone of Israel. I am an opponent of DEI wokery but also suspect the switch in this direction by Zionists, and the fusion of libertarian membership of the Free Speech Union with the Friends of Israel. Free speech for all, violence for none.