Police-state war on UK citizens to protect Israel escalates again
UK police have been filmed threatening a Kent woman with arrest under the Terrorism Act for supporting a proscribed, or banned, organisation – despite not displaying anything relating to a proscribed organisation, but simply for expressing support for Gaza to be free and for condemning Israel’s genocide.
The government has banned a specific ‘direct action’ anti-genocide protest group, Palestine Action – an unprecedented and widely condemned decision, including by United Nations human rights experts – categorising Palestine Action as a terrorist group alongside ISIS, al-Qaeda and other groups. But police officers are now either choosing, or being told, to treat any expression of opposition to genocide or of support for the Palestinian people and their rights as grounds for suspicion of support for that specific, banned group.
An offence carrying a potential prison sentence of up to fourteen years.
And the officers in the video reveal that they only need ‘2/10’ on a scale of suspicion to consider that to be grounds for arrest:
The woman was harassed but stood her ground. The police were entirely wrong to treat protest for an end to murder and the freedom of a people being starved, bombed and forced into concentration camps as if it was only the aim of a single group that the government has banned.
That much is not in doubt. The question is, are they choosing to misapply the legislation like this – or are they being told to by senior officers and a Home Secretary determined to protect Israel from accountability for its genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, even at the cost of the rights and freedoms of UK people.
The Thanet4Palestine group said:
This clear overreach and unlawful misinterpretation of anti terrorism legislation represents a threat to the whole community. It clearly demonstrates an attempt by the police to criminalise support for the Palestinian cause.
When policing becomes politicised in the way we have witnessed during the Gaza genocide, the checks and balances a democratic society rely on to keep them safe are no longer functional. The community must hold its police force and democratic institutions to account.
The incident occurred on Monday 14th July 5.30pm St George’s Roundabout, Canterbury
If you watch this video and want to complain, you can call Canterbury Police Station on 01622 690 690 and ask to speak to the complaints officer. Alternatively you can complain on line at. https://www.kent.police.uk/
Skwawkbox has contacted Kent Police to ask:
I’ve received video footage of two officers threatening a woman with arrest for standing with a Palestine flag and signs saying ‘Free Gaza’ and ‘Israel is committing genocide’, on the grounds that this suggests support for a proscribed organisation, by which they presumably meant Palestine Action. I understand several complaints have already been made to Kent Police.
Support for Palestine and calling for an end to genocide is self-evidently not limited to members or supporters of Palestine Action; the United Nations has said Israel is committing genocide and Israel is currently on trial at the International Court of Justice for genocide. Human rights groups, the governments of Ireland, Spain, South Africa and several dozen other countries have joined the ICJ case with their own complaints and evidence. The official position of the UK government is one of support for a ‘two-state solution’ that would give Gaza and the West Bank statehood and self-determination.
Questions:
- Will the officers be disciplined and/or re-educated?
- Did they choose to misapply the Palestine Action proscription in this way, or is this Kent Police’s policy? If the latter, is this limited to Kent Police or is it a directive from government to all forces?
- Will an apology be made to the victim of the misapplication?
No response has yet been received and the force’s press office has not been contactable by phone.
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In reply to your questions:
1) the officers would not be re-educated, let along disciplined.
2) it was not a misunderstanding by the Kent Police, this is the future
3) apology? from the Kent Police? no likely.
Welcome to fascist Britain, we have 3 options:
– fight it
– bear it
– escape it
For those that chose to fight it: be very careful, you can expect for your job and your family to suffer if you are caught. Plan for an escape route if things became to hot that you need to leave the UK at short notice. Chose in advance in which country you are going to seek refuge and apply for political asylum. Find out sources of support (housing, employment) in different countries so that you make an informed decision. Don’t make the mistake of believing that you are not going to be send to jail, the younger that you are, the higher the danger that you will be sent to jail.
3 options? Yeah, but ”fight it” is the only thing a convinced democratic socialist would do. Accepting it or fleeing it are for IF we failed – and we wouldn’t.
Starmer’s bullying state-backed corporatism – and his complicity with Israel’s genocide – will make us – not break us. We are as 1 with Palestine!
That is NOT a Canterbury phone number – they start 01227 – might be Maidstone. The Kent Police HQ is in Folkestone BTW.
Can’t see any numbers on those pigs.
Good luck to them trying to apply that argument at a major demo in London – or in court.
According to Ofcom.org Dave, 01622 correspondents to Maidstone, Kent.
Off-topic:
Banana Republic;
Off-topic:
Banana Republic;
1984 in full-swing.
Starmer – the most dangerous man in the UK, bar none.
“UN experts on Israel-Palestine resign after US imposes sanctions on colleague
Three independent UN experts assigned to investigate human rights in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories have stepped down, citing personal reasons and the need for “renewal.”
The UN Human Rights Council, which established the Commission of Enquiry, confirmed the resignations on Monday. The letters were submitted last week but only became public this week.
Their departure follows mounting political pressure. Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, another UN-appointed expert focused on Israel and Palestine.
Israel has consistently refused to cooperate with the commission, rejecting its legitimacy, denying entry to investigators, and accusing the panel of bias. Despite repeated requests, the government has blocked all access to Israeli and occupied Palestinian territory.”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/un-experts-israel-palestine-resign-after-us-imposes-sanctions-colleague
Don’t give Trump or Netanyahu an inch.
‘Could turn The Hague into a Co-op?
One human, one euro, one share.
And issue warrants for all Western politicians who have armed, funded and
enabled the Genocide in Gaza.
And send them there.’
The great news is that 32 of the most decent countries on Earth are meeting in Bogata tomorrow. (Weds).
They include South Africa, Columbia, Spain, Ireland & many Latin American countries and are known as The Hague Group.
And they are to co-ordinate action against the Genocide in Gaza by Israel as well as supporting international law.
They shine like a beacon for humanity and put Western politicians, who have armed, funded & enabled Israel’s Genocide, to shame.
Said Western politicians many argue have consistently turned a blind eye to the slaughter in Gaza and many also argue that they are driven by arms profits and profits from Israel’s theft of Palestinian land, gas & oil resources.
So as well as the oppressed of the world & BDS we also have growing global champions for Justice For Palestine.
Hope it doesn’t become illegal to hold a placard saying:
‘I Support The Hague Group!’ (?)
Hope the US & UK & others who jump to the US tune don’t proscribe The Hague Group. (?)
In the face of the Right’s ‘Ministry of Truth’ (Orwell) there is hope.
Solidarity.
Yours in Peace.
I may be wrong here, but does the USA not provide Israel’s weapons for free, whilst it provides Ukraine’s weapons on condition that either Ukraine or European nations pay for them? As always Uncle Sam looking for the main chance in (almost all) wars. Presumably having a 50% share of Ukraine’s minerals has now been all used up.
Will the officers be disciplined and/or re-educated?
Disciplined? Hahahahaha. Ok pal. Discipline is not a prerequisite of the old bill. Never has been. Nor is intelligence Or discretion. Or common sense. Or accountability.
And for the second part. Again – no.
You can’t educate pork.
Just making it up as they go. Power and education are not necessarily linked.
Most MPs used to be educated in the university of life … even some Tories had got their hands dirty, but these days it is difficult finding anyone in politics who didn’t leave school and just go into some office-based politics. Cameron was an “adviser” in the Tory Party. A female MP near my old stamping ground came from the worst estate in town, and then straight down to London to work in Blair’s operation.