Latest news with #PalestineAction
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Narcissistic activists aren't Britain's real enemy
Should Irish rappers Kneecap be banned from playing Glastonbury today? Far better to ask: should anyone care? These talentless anti-Israel bigots and the perpetual adolescents attending the outdated Worthy Farm jamboree deserve each other. Perhaps the quinquagenarians paying through the nose to watch 70-year-olds flogging their old hits for the thousandth time, whilst desperately trying to stave off dysentery, think watching Kneecap will make them 'edgy'. Leave them to it. Because narcissistic rappers are just a distraction. Along with Palestine Action – a group which takes to Britain's streets to support homophobes and misogynists – they may have handed the Met and the Culture Secretary an opportunity to pretend they're taking a 'muscular' approach to far-Left extremism in our wondrously multicultural society. But they could also be swatted away for good if the Government showed some genuine bottle, and should not be the primary object of our contempt. The real fifth columnists aren't these provocateurs and cosplayers, but the pathetic politicians and jobsworth civil servants indulging them. What Keir Starmer doesn't grasp, when he issues flabby statements about the 'inappropriateness' of Kneecap at Glasto, is that the root of our frustration isn't just the inability of our authorities to clamp down on this nonsense. It's the knowledge that, at every turn, those who genuinely want to keep us safe will come up against others working against it. Take (please!) the diversity hire in charge at Brize Norton, a woman who has spent her time in the RAF working in personnel and administration ('HR' for short), and who in 2019 wrote that patriotism is 'undesirable'. It's the silly so-and-sos who believe our Armed Forces need woke recruiting practices, even if it exacerbates staff shortages. We've not got enough people to fly our planes, but at least we can try to say RAF staff perfectly reflect our society's demographic makeup. And it's the people who would never openly share their disdain for the majority, but who work unobtrusively every day to undermine their democratic will. The foot-dragging lanyard class – unelected, unaccountable, secretly ideological – thwarts policies they are paid to implement. If you want to understand why the Tories accomplished next to nothing over their 14 years in power, look no further than a King's College London study which found civil servants are significantly less satisfied, and thus less motivated to work hard, if they hold different political views from the government. Nowhere is this issue clearer than on immigration. The Tory Government attempted to introduce policies that would deter illegal crossings, only to be met with legalistic sabotage and a landmark legal challenge from the senior civil servants union. Brits want bogus asylum claims thrown out, but charities and NGOs push for an open doors policy that is impoverishing and angering our country, transforming it beyond recognition with no mandate. Or consider counter-terrorism: the Shawcross review revealed Right-wing extremism was being discussed disproportionately, despite Islamist craziness being by far the most likely problem. We have gradually dismantled our Armed Forces whilst money is endlessly squandered on welfare to appease Leftists who live in La La Land. We allow subtle attacks on allies and make excuses for terrorists. We continually undermine our troops with dubious prosecutions and pointless inquiries. Why can't we be tough and resourceful, as the Israelis are on a much smaller budget? Their country has many internal political differences but its people understand there is one shared nation to be defended at all costs. Can the same be said for Britain? The prescription isn't hard: deport illegals, lock up the most dangerous radicals and stop patronising the airheads, tell the soggy sympathisers the game is up. That the counter-terrorism police have now arrested four people after military planes were sprayed with paint during the break-in at Brize Norton – a stunt that could have cost lives – might indicate we are going to get a bit tougher. Let's hope so. But Britain is a long way from confronting the real enemy within.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘It's a complete assault on free speech': how Palestine Action was targeted for proscription as terrorists
If this interview had taken place in a week's time, Huda Ammori might have been arrested. If this interview had been published in a week's time, the Guardian might also have been breaking the law. Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, said she was finding it 'very hard to absorb the reality of what's happening here'. She said: 'I don't have a single conviction but if this goes through I would have co-founded what will be a terrorist organisation.' By 'this' she means the UK government's hugely controversial proposal to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, placing it alongside the likes of Islamic State and National Action – the first time a direct action group would be classified in this way. If the group is proscribed next week, as is expected, being a member of or inviting support for Palestine Action will carry a maximum penalty of 14 years. Wearing clothing or publishing a logo that arouses reasonable suspicion that someone supports Palestine Action will carry a sentence of up to six months. As far as the government is concerned – and campaign groups that have been lobbying ministers – Palestine Action deserves it. This week Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, decried its 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage' and claimed: 'Its methods have become more aggressive, with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence.' Beyond the claim and counter-claim, the debate over the decision to ban Palestine Action is as much about free speech and the use of counter-terrorism laws to stop protests. If Ammori is concerned for herself, she does not show it. In an exclusive interview, she said: 'Obviously people in Palestine Action understand the severity of what's happening and there's a sense of frustration, but there's also a lot of unity in terms of wanting to fight this and not crumble to pressure. 'I think they're completely shooting themselves in the foot if they do this – they are completely delegitimising their own laws, which I think are already quite illegitimate, but in the sense that there have been thousands of people who've come out on the streets, so many people on social media, people in the media etc who've come out in support. I can't think of any precedent for that, where a group is facing proscription and there's an outpouring of support from the general public. I think that says enough about whether or not we should be labelled terrorists.' Cooper announced the proscription plan on Monday, three days after Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed paint into the jet engines of two military aircraft that it claimed were helping to refuel US and Israeli fighter jets. It was a deeply embarrassing security breach at a time when the government is trying to bolster its defence credentials. It was a far cry from when Palestine Action started out in 2020. Ammori said they had so little funds that they would go to actions carrying supplies in plastic carrier bags and make stencils out of cardboard. The 31-year-old said her activism was piqued by volunteering with refugees in Greece while she was at university. Many of them were from Palestine and Iraq, where her father and mother respectively are originally from, and she realised 'you have to tackle the root cause of these issues'. She later worked for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on boycott and divestment campaigns and lobbying MPs, but she left after two years after feeling as if 'you're constantly banging your head against a brick wall, you're constantly trying to reason with people, with the facts, and what you get back is nothing and the complicity continues'. Ammori then joined up with others who had carried out direct actions (as she had done in 2017) against the Israeli arms manufacturer subsidiary Elbit Systems UK, to form Palestine Action 'with the aim of ending British complicity with the colonisation of Palestine'. She estimates the group has carried out hundreds of actions, occupying buildings, spraying red paint and destroying equipment, taking video footage to share on social media, going from 'strength to strength'. As its activities have increased since Israel began its assault on Gaza after the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas, so has pressure on the government to clamp down on the group, even though its activists are already routinely arrested and charged under existing laws for offences such as criminal damage, violent disorder and burglary. Cooper said they had caused millions of pounds of damage during a 'nationwide campaign of direct criminal action against businesses and institutions, including key national infrastructure and defence firms'. Ammori believes part of the reason for proscription is that Palestine Action activists have regularly been acquitted, and where convicted jail time has been rare, although she estimates that dozens have spent time in prison while awaiting trial. 'They've tried to do a few different things to try and deter us, from making it harder to rely on legal defences or increasing use of remand, or they raid you a lot more and then put more severe charges on you,' she said. 'It hasn't [deterred us] so now they're hugely overreaching because they don't like us or agree with our cause.' She cites activists previously cleared by courts for actions against UK military bases trying to stop war crimes in Iraq, East Timor and Yemen, 'but as soon as it's done for Palestine that's it, you're branded as a terrorist. It's terrifying for everyone that Britain thinks it's appropriate to call to label this a terrorist organisation. The counter-terrorism laws in Britain are so extreme – it's one of the only countries, the only country, where it's actually an offence to recklessly show support for a proscribed organisation. So it's a complete assault on free speech.' She also points out that none of the overseas chapters of Palestine Action – unaffiliated to but inspired by the UK group – have been banned as terrorists. Ammori believes the Conservatives would not have resorted to proscription, as they had ample opportunity to do so while in government, and it is only under Labour that activists have been arrested – but not charged so far – under the Terrorism Act, which allows for them to be held without a charging decision for 14 days. '[Ministers] have gone off the back of what pro-Israel lobby groups have said about us, from probably Elbit Systems and the Israeli government over the years as well, rather than do any factchecking,' she said. 'It's just completely rushed and done for political agenda, and without any consultation with us.' Freedom of information requests have shown that the UK government has separately met Elbit and Israeli embassy officials, although documents have been heavily redacted so that details are scarce. A 2022 briefing note for the then home secretary, Priti Patel, before a meeting with Elbit had a section titled 'Past lobbying' but all details had been redacted. When asked previously about the document, Elbit did not comment. It did not respond to a request to comment on the matters raised in this article. Elements of Cooper's ministerial statement mirrored claims made by We Believe in Israel in a report published this month calling for Palestine Action to be banned – namely references to activists targeting infrastructure supporting Ukraine, Nato and Jewish-owned businesses and universities. Ammori insisted Palestine Action targeted 'all companies who work with Elbit Systems, regardless of the owners identity.' The We Believe in Israel report also said the group had been investigated in 2022 for links to Hamas-aligned networks abroad, citing a 'classified Metropolitan police briefing', although no charges resulted. It did not say how or why it had seen the briefing, but it reinforced Ammori's fears about UK government and law enforcement being swayed by external forces. A week ago, We Believe in Israel tweeted: 'Behind Palestine Action's theatre of resistance stands a darker puppeteer: the [Iranian] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.' The only evidence it provided was that the IRGC's vocabulary 'echoes in Palestine Action's slogans'. Two days later, the Times was briefed by anonymous Home Office officials that they were investigating whether Palestine Action was funded by Iran, although Cooper did not mention this in her statement. Ammori rejected the allegation, insisting the group was funded by multiple individuals donating small amounts of cash. As proof, she pointed to a fundraiser for legal fees for the fight against proscription, which by Friday morning had raised more than £150,000, with an average donation of about £35. She said Palestine Action had shown people 'that you really have a lot of power and that you don't have to accept the fact that when our own government's breaking the law, when these factories are operating building weapons to kill people in Palestine, or weapons that they market as battle-tested on Palestinians and they are openly committing war crimes, that you actually have the power to stop that. 'I think that's something that's captured a lot of people's attention and hearts, and that's why we've gained so much support. People in these areas resonate more with the people on the roof than they do with the company building weapons to massacre people.' The Home Office was approached for comment.
North Wales Chronicle
10 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Police question woman who wore ‘concentration camp prisoner' outfit at protest
Images of the protester, whose identity the police have not disclosed, circulated on social media, showing the woman dressed in striped clothes, hat and face mask. Yellow symbols depicting the crescent moon and star of Islam were sewn on to the shirt and hat, and the protester held a sign with the hashtag 'We Are All Palestine Action'. The Met Police said in a post on X that the woman was questioned on Friday. 'Images were shared this week showing a woman at protests wearing clothing imitating that worn by those held in concentration camps during the Holocaust,' they said. UPDATE: Images were shared this week showing a woman at protests wearing clothing imitating that worn by those held in concentration camps during the Holocaust. This afternoon she was interviewed under caution at a central London police station. Our investigation continues. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 27, 2025 'This afternoon she was interviewed under caution at a central London police station. 'Our investigation continues.' Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS), described the outfit as 'a blatant act of antisemitism' and criticised Met Police officers who oversaw the demonstration for failing to take immediate action. 'This was a blatant act of antisemitism that has caused distress and upset to many people in the Jewish community in Britain,' Mr Hearn said. 'The Holocaust is not a costume. 'We are glad that the police are now taking action but the question remains why police officers at this protest and outside Parliament did not act on the spot.' Mr Hearn added: 'Time and again these so-called protesters display racist hatred and contempt for Jews in front of police officers, but it is only when the Jewish community publicly calls this out and demands action that the police engage.' The Metropolitan Police have declined to answer further questions. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that she has decided to proscribe Palestine Action and will lay an order before Parliament next week which, if passed, will make membership and support for the protest group illegal. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. On Monday, a march took place in support of Palestine Action in central London, during which clashes between the police and some protesters led to 13 arrests for alleged offences including assaulting an emergency worker, obstructing a constable and breaching Public Order Act conditions, the Metropolitan Police previously said. Palestine Action has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Sunday World
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Sunday World
Police quiz woman who wore ‘concentration camp prisoner' outfit at protest
Images of the protester, whose identity the police have not disclosed, circulated on social media, showing the woman dressed in striped clothes, hat and face mask A woman who wore clothes resembling those of Holocaust concentration camp prisoners at a Palestine Action protest has been questioned by the Metropolitan Police, the force has said. Images of the protester, whose identity the police have not disclosed, circulated on social media, showing the woman dressed in striped clothes, hat and face mask. Yellow symbols depicting the crescent moon and star of Islam were sewn on to the shirt and hat, and the protester held a sign with the hashtag 'We Are All Palestine Action'. A pro-Palestine march in London (John Stillwell/PA) News in 90 Seconds - June 27th The Met Police said in a post on X that the woman was questioned on Friday. 'Images were shared this week showing a woman at protests wearing clothing imitating that worn by those held in concentration camps during the Holocaust,' they said. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content 'This afternoon she was interviewed under caution at a central London police station. 'Our investigation continues.' Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS), described the outfit as 'a blatant act of antisemitism' and criticised Met Police officers who oversaw the demonstration for failing to take immediate action. 'This was a blatant act of antisemitism that has caused distress and upset to many people in the Jewish community in Britain,' Mr Hearn said. 'The Holocaust is not a costume. 'We are glad that the police are now taking action but the question remains why police officers at this protest and outside Parliament did not act on the spot.' Mr Hearn added: 'Time and again these so-called protesters display racist hatred and contempt for Jews in front of police officers, but it is only when the Jewish community publicly calls this out and demands action that the police engage.' The Metropolitan Police have declined to answer further questions. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that she has decided to proscribe Palestine Action and will lay an order before Parliament next week which, if passed, will make membership and support for the protest group illegal. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. On Monday, a march took place in support of Palestine Action in central London, during which clashes between the police and some protesters led to 13 arrests for alleged offences including assaulting an emergency worker, obstructing a constable and breaching Public Order Act conditions, the Metropolitan Police previously said. Palestine Action has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Powys County Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Police question woman who wore ‘concentration camp prisoner' outfit at protest
A woman who wore clothes resembling those of Holocaust concentration camp prisoners at a Palestine Action protest has been questioned by the Metropolitan Police, the force has said. Images of the protester, whose identity the police have not disclosed, circulated on social media, showing the woman dressed in striped clothes, hat and face mask. Yellow symbols depicting the crescent moon and star of Islam were sewn on to the shirt and hat, and the protester held a sign with the hashtag 'We Are All Palestine Action'. The Met Police said in a post on X that the woman was questioned on Friday. 'Images were shared this week showing a woman at protests wearing clothing imitating that worn by those held in concentration camps during the Holocaust,' they said. UPDATE: Images were shared this week showing a woman at protests wearing clothing imitating that worn by those held in concentration camps during the Holocaust. This afternoon she was interviewed under caution at a central London police station. Our investigation continues. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 27, 2025 'This afternoon she was interviewed under caution at a central London police station. 'Our investigation continues.' Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS), described the outfit as 'a blatant act of antisemitism' and criticised Met Police officers who oversaw the demonstration for failing to take immediate action. 'This was a blatant act of antisemitism that has caused distress and upset to many people in the Jewish community in Britain,' Mr Hearn said. 'The Holocaust is not a costume. 'We are glad that the police are now taking action but the question remains why police officers at this protest and outside Parliament did not act on the spot.' Mr Hearn added: 'Time and again these so-called protesters display racist hatred and contempt for Jews in front of police officers, but it is only when the Jewish community publicly calls this out and demands action that the police engage.' The Metropolitan Police have declined to answer further questions. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that she has decided to proscribe Palestine Action and will lay an order before Parliament next week which, if passed, will make membership and support for the protest group illegal. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. On Monday, a march took place in support of Palestine Action in central London, during which clashes between the police and some protesters led to 13 arrests for alleged offences including assaulting an emergency worker, obstructing a constable and breaching Public Order Act conditions, the Metropolitan Police previously said. Palestine Action has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
