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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
UK campaign group Palestine Action to challenge government ban
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in protest against Britain's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's plans to proscribe the \"Palestine Action\" group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/ File Photo LONDON - Pro-Palestinian campaign organisation Palestine Action said on Monday it had initiated legal proceedings to challenge the British government's intention to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. The proscription - expected to be laid before parliament on Monday - would make it a criminal offence to belong to the group, and was announced days after its activists damaged two British military planes in protest at London's support for Israel. Palestine Action previously condemned the government's move, calling it "an unhinged reaction", and said that London's High Court had granted the group an urgent hearing on Friday to consider permission for a legal challenge to the proscription. The group is seeking a court order to prevent the government from proscribing the group pending its case being heard, Palestine Action said. It includes written statements from human rights experts at Amnesty International and others that have expressed concerns "about the unlawful misuse of anti-terror measures to criminalise dissent". "The court's decision to grant an urgent hearing this week is indicative of the vital importance of what is at stake in this case, including the far-reaching implications any proscription of Palestine Action would have on fundamental freedoms of speech, expression and assembly in Britain," co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, said. Under British law, the Home Secretary can proscribe a group if it is believed it commits, encourages or "is otherwise concerned in terrorism". The ban would put Palestine Action on a par with Hamas, al-Qaeda or ISIS under British law. The Home Office declined to comment on Palestine Action's legal challenge. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper previously said the group had a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage" and that the government would not tolerate those who put national security at risk. Palestine Action has regularly targeted British sites connected to Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems as well as other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza in 2023. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
UK's Starmer and Glastonbury slam 'death to' Israeli military chant
Revellers with Palestinian flags lean on a barrier, on the day Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Moglai Bap of Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy DJ Provai of Kneecap, wearing a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag, performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Mo Chara of Kneecap, wearing a keffiyeh, performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Revellers gather as Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy GLASTONBURY, England - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. During their show on Saturday, the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military. Police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation, but did not name Bob Vylan or Irish rap band Kneecap, who appeared on the same stage and also criticised Israel. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday. "There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech," Starmer said in a statement. "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence." The festival organisers criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan. "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said on Sunday. The Israeli Embassy in Britain condemned the "inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed" on stage. Bob Vylan's band members did not respond to a request for comment. Starmer also criticised Britain's BBC, which transmits much of the festival live, for showing the performance. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast," he said. The BBC said some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. "During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language," a spokesperson said. "We have no plans to make the performance available on demand." KNEECAP NEXT ON STAGE Bob Vylan's show on the festival's West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against Starmer and also taking aim at Israel. During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it." Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert. He has denied the charge. Starmer had said it was ""not appropriate" for Kneecap to play at the festival. A senior member of his government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, earlier on Sunday criticised the chants by Bob Vylan but added that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. "I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News. Political commentator Ash Sarkar said it was typical of punk musicians to spark controversy. "Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff," said Sarkar, a contributing editor to Novara Media, a leftist media organisation. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Glastonbury organisers appalled by band's 'death to' Israeli military chant
Revellers with Palestinian flags lean on a barrier, on the day Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Moglai Bap of Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy DJ Provai of Kneecap, wearing a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag, performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Mo Chara of Kneecap, wearing a keffiyeh, performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Revellers gather as Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy GLASTONBURY, England - Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, saying the music festival was no place for antisemitism or incitement to violence. During their show on Saturday, the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military. British police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after artists at Glastonbury made anti-Israel comments on stage, without naming Bob Vylan. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday. Glastonbury Festival criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan. "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said on Sunday. The Israeli Embassy in Britain condemned the "inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed" on stage at the festival. Bob Vylan's band members did not immediately respond to a request for comment. KNEECAP NEXT ON STAGE Their show on the festival's West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and also taking aim at Israel. During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it." Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert. He has denied the charge. Senior members of Starmer's government also criticised the chants by Bob Vylan. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it was appalling that the comments had been made on stage, adding that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. "I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News. "I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously." Political commentator Ash Sarkar said it was typical of punk musicians to spark controversy. "Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff," said Sarkar, a contributing editor to Novara Media, a leftist media organisation. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
UK police studying Glastonbury performances after anti-Israel comments
Revellers with Palestinian flags lean on a barrier, on the day Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Moglai Bap of Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy DJ Provai of Kneecap, wearing a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag, performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Mo Chara of Kneecap, wearing a keffiyeh, performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Revellers gather as Kneecap performs at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy GLASTONBURY, England - British police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after artists performing at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments on stage. Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made the comments in separate shows on the festival's West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday they were aware of remarks made on stage earlier in the day. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said. Glastonbury Festival said it was "appalled" by the statements by Bob Vylan. "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said in a statement. Kneecap's management and Bob Vylan's band members did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". Prime Minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury. The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge. During Saturday's performance, he accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it." Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy contacted the BBC's director general to seek explanation on how the Bob Vylan show was broadcast, a government spokesperson said. "We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury," the spokesperson added. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made on stage, adding that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. "I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," Streeting told Sky News. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Britain vows to toughen its trade defences under new strategy
Britain's Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File Photo Britain vows to toughen its trade defences under new strategy LONDON - Britain said it would toughen up its trade defences to better protect industries amid a turbulent global outlook of trade wars and tariffs that has shaped its new trade strategy to be published on Thursday. Britain is set to partially implement a deal to remove some of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, but acknowledged that its trade remedies system needed to be more "agile, assertive, and accountable to guard British businesses against global turbulence". "The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest," Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. "Our trade strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm." As part of the strategy, the government will reform the Trade Remedies Authority. UK Steel has said that the TRA's current powers, under which it proposed to cap how much of certain kinds of steel could be imported, needed to be more robust, and welcomed the trade strategy as a "critical turning point". Britain is aiming to remove U.S. tariffs on steel imports under their agreement, although the implementation of the deal has not been finalised. The government has stepped in to take control of British Steel, and other industries are also seeking support, with AB Foods extending its deadline for deciding the fate of its Vivergo bioethanol plant to Thursday in the hope of a support package. The trade strategy is Britain's first since it has had an independent trade policy after leaving the European Union. The previous Conservative government hailed the opportunities of Brexit as it pursued several free trade agreements. While the Labour government, which came to power a year ago, has concluded free trade agreement talks with India and is making progress on another with the Gulf Cooperation Council, it said the new strategy would focus on quicker and more practical deals than the previous government did. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
