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MP's 'we are Palestine Action' comment edited out of Hansard

MP's 'we are Palestine Action' comment edited out of Hansard

The National6 hours ago
Hansard, the official record of all statements in the UK Parliament, has been tweaked to remove Zarah Sultana's remark from the report of a debate on proscribing the Palestine Action group as a terrorist organisation.
The debate, which took place on June 2, saw Sultana speak against the proscription.
Video of the debate shows she said: 'We have to recognise that this will go down as a dark day in our country's history and one that will be remembered: people will ask, 'Which side were you on?' and I stand with the millions of people who oppose genocide, because I am one of them.
'I oppose the blood-soaked hands of this Government trying to silence us. So I say this loudly and proudly on Wednesday 2 July 2025: We are all Palestine Action.'
READ MORE: I'm an SNP MP. Here's why we abstained on proscribing Palestine Action
Hansard initially recorded that, before being cut off, Sultana had said: 'So I say this loudly and proudly on Wednesday 2 July 2025: We are all Palestine –'.
However, it has since been edited and now instead reports that Sultana said: 'So I say this loudly and proudly on Wednesday 2 July 2025 –".
After the group was proscribed, supporting or being a member of Palestine Action became punishable with up to 14 years in jail.
However, MP's statements in the Commons are protected by 'absolute privilege' – which ensures full legal immunity for comments made in Parliament. 'Qualified privilege' then allows fair and accurate media reports on Westminster proceedings based on those statements.
Screenshot of the official Hansard report, which has had Zarah Sultana's 'we are all Palestine Action' comment edited out (Image: UK Parliament) Responding to the edit on social media, Sultana said: 'Parliament and Hansard have removed 'We are all Palestine Action' from my speech on Wednesday 2 July 2025 – despite me saying it.
'This is a blatant attempt to censor me and rewrite the record. This is not how a democracy behaves.
'We will not be silenced.'
Sultana further shared a video of her speech from July 2, in which she can be clearly heard to say: 'So I say this loudly and proudly on Wednesday 2 July 2025: We are all Palestine Action.'
The UK Parliament has been asked why the change has been made, and whether it will correct Hansard to record what was actually said by the MP.
Police officers remove 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt from a protest in support of Palestine Action (Image: PA) The proscription of Palestine Action led to 29 people being arrested on suspicion of terror offences in London last weekend, including an 83-year-old reverend.
Metropolitan Police circled around dozens of protesters standing quietly beneath a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, with placards that said: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'.
The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused around £7 million of damage.
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