Is British Freedom in Trouble? A Poll
Opinion/Editorial
In the United Kingdom the constabulary was created and ‘Police by consent’ was implemented – there is a full definition here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/policing-by-consent/definition-of-policing-by-consent
The first edict is: “To prevent crime and disorder, as an alternative to their repression by military force and severity of legal punishment.” Therefore, in order to have the police take action on a situation, it is required to create a crime. In this case our government proscribed a group called ‘Palestine Action‘ as a terrorist organisation. These are a small group of activists who broke into a military installation and threw paint at jets that are alledgedly are being used to assist the Israeli Military forces. They state “Rather than begging those who are complicit to gain a moral compass, we go straight to the source and shut down the production of Israeli weapons.”
they are frightened
The term ‘terrorism’ came fully into my conciousness with the November 11, Twin Towers attacks when nearly 3000 people lost their lives. I’m sure it’s the same for many others where the term ‘War on Terror‘ was coined. So how have we managed to get to a point where throwing paint at military jets is an act of terror? And how have we reached a moment where peacefully holding a view (displaying a placard supporting that action) could get you locked up for 14 years. Can there be any real justification with equating direct action with mass killing.
George Monbiot has made it very clear he is not on-board and was seen in Totnes market-square, potentially risking up to 14 years imprisonment. I’m no expert in law, so I don’t know if the creative use of grammar for his placard would have prevented this. He said: “The proscription of Palestine Action is the most illiberal thing any government of the UK has done in 30 years. It is a step towards a police state, and an assault on our fundamental rights to free speech and free assembly. It is all the more shocking that a Labour government did this.”
Our MP Caroline Voaden has also made her feelings about the situation very clear, saying “I, and the Liberal Democrats have long championed the right to protest. We opposed the previous Conservative Government’s draconian anti-protest laws every step of the way, including the Public Order Act”
So what is behind this legislation?
With many Labour MPs receiving funding from Labour Friends of Israel lobby group to the tune of well over a quarter of a million pounds including the PM, Keir Starmer has previously stated “I don’t describe myself as a Zionist but I understand, sympathise and support Zionism,”. It’s seems clear that our government will continue supporting genocide* and destruction of Gaza. When we look back at history, it’s won’t be Britains proudest hour.
What exactly is Zionism?
“With that definition established and our Prime Minister supporting it, it seems pointless to expect him to openly disapprove of Israeli settlers taking over Palestinian land and property.
So why has this government set a precident that abuses long established rights to protest in the UK?
I think it’s because, they are frightened. They are running scared of the British population.
While of course there are plenty of people who support the Israeli actions on Palestine, an increasing majority of people do not and many of those are angry about it. With the danger of taking such punitive measures on simple stating support for a group – that is 14 years in prison, there will doubtless be protestors who might think ‘in for a penny in for a pound‘ and take more drastic actions.
It seems very clear to me that the government would much prefer we all stopped looking into this and are willing to lock us up if we continue to speak loudly about it.
So I’m curious to know your view on Labours’ latest move, setting our police on peaceful protesters.
Try the poll below and/or comment …
[democracy id=”2″]
* Genocide as defined by
- the United Nations,
- Human Rights Watch
- Amnesty International
- Médecins Sans Frontières
- Holocaust Scholars
- International Court of Justice
- Oxfam
- Save The Children.
Another possible placard/ perspective is Arrest Netanyahu not me… take action on Palestine….
I would just like to say that your poll asking if it was right or wrong that the perpetrators of the paint attack on RAF aircraft at Brize Norton were jailed is asking a misleading question.
Those who took part, regardless of their motivation, broke the law in forcing an entry and then damaging the aircraft. By doing that, they risked being found guilty of a criminal offence and being punished with a jail sentence anyway. These laws exist for obvious reasons and people who deliberately break them should be punished accordingly.
If your question was “Do you agree that Palestine Action should be proscribed as a terrorist organisation?” then I would vote “no”. Palestine Action should be allowed to exist and allowed to protest – but it has to be peaceful protest. If they advocate or encourage actions that potentially put lives at risk that’s another matter. It’s also fundamental right in this country that we all should be allowed to go about our lawful business without hindrance or fear of injury.
I agree that our Labour government appears to be running scared of being accused of antisemitism (again). As ever, pro-Zionist sympathisers deliberately conflate it with anti-Zionism as a means of weaponising anti-racist sentiment and legislation to stifle open debate and stop the use of any and all actions to restrain Israel’s continued razing of Gaza and the ever-rising death-toll. I also suspect that majority opinion is against their continued support for Israel, but that can’t be used as an excuse for illegal and potentially dangerous behaviour.
These things are never binary, but endlessly complicated, and asking binary questions produces unhelpful answers. I refer you to Brexit.