Latest news with #Parfitt
Middle East Eye
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Met police chief slammed for defending arrest of 83-year-old priest over Palestine Action placard
The head of London's Metropolitan Police force has been heavily criticised for defending the arrest of an 83-year-old retired priest who expressed support for the direct action group Palestine Action. The Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, was detained for holding a placard on Saturday that read: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' She was among 29 people arrested on Saturday for acts of defiance against the proscription. In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Met commissioner Mark Rowley was asked whether the arrest of Parfitt was a good use of police time. "The law doesn't have an age limit, whether you're 18 or 80," he replied. "If you're supporting proscribed organisations, then the law is going to be enforced. Officers, you could see, did it with great care and tried to preserve that person's dignity, but they're breaking a serious law." Zack Polanski, the Green Party deputy leader who is standing to lead the party, remarked on X that Rowley "says 'serious' so many times. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The depravity of arresting people for helping placards when they're actively opposing a genocide which our government are active participants is what's serious here. "Starmer has put him in this indefensible position." He says "serious" so many times. Thr depravity of arresting people for helping placards when they're actively opposing a genocide which our government are active participants is what's serious here. Starmer has put him in this indefensible position. — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) July 6, 2025 Parfitt's arrest has sparked widespread outrage on social media. One user called it 'the march of authoritarianism & crackdown on freedom of speech & expression,' while another questioned whether it was now illegal to call her 'a hero'. Paul Powlesland, a barrister and campaigner, posted on social media that, the "last time I checked, burglary, bike theft, class A drug dealing & phone robbery were also against the law, but the Met Police have largely given up enforcing these laws." It's funny that Mark Rowley says that the proscription of Palestine action is now the law and therefore they 'have to enforce it'. Last time I checked, burglary, bike theft, class A drug dealing & phone robbery were also against the law, but the Met Police have largely given up… — Paul Powlesland (@paulpowlesland) July 6, 2025 Powlesland said that while the cases against Palestine activists would probably be investigated at police offices in Barking, east London, officers had told him they "do not have the resources" to protect working-class communities in that neighbourhood. 'Dark chapter for fundamental rights' The arrests came just after midnight on Saturday, as a government order to label Palestine Action a terrorist group took legal effect. MPs voted 385 to 26 in favour of the ban. Supporting or joining the group now carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. 'Proscription is political overreach designed to intimidate those who support direct action' - Laura O'Brien, lawyer This comes after four Palestine Action activists broke into an RAF base and spray painted two planes last month while riding on electric scooters. According to flight tracking data, the two planes are back in operation. Four Palestine Action activists have been charged following the incident. Rowley told the BBC: "Palestine Action have over the last 18 months, I have to be careful what I say, because there's cases coming to trial, but some really serious criminal offences that they're accused of. "There are millions of pounds worth of damage on multiple occasions. There are assaults, there are weapons used." Rowley added: "This is not about protest. This is about an organisation committing serious criminality and obviously the home secretary was persuaded by the papers on her desk to proscribe them. "That law has come into force, and if people want to defy that law, then we have to enforce it." UK arrests 83-year-old priest for backing Palestine Action and opposing Gaza genocide Read More » Despite Home Office minister Dan Jarvis arguing that Palestine Action's proscription 'will not impinge on people's right to protest', several UN special rapporteurs have warned the decision could have a 'chilling effect' on protest and advocacy in relation to Palestine. Laura O'Brien, head of the protest team at Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors, told MEE that the proscription 'marks a dark chapter for fundamental rights in the UK'. "Where damage or violence is used, the existing criminal law provides all the powers the government needs to investigate, prosecute and punish. Proscription is political overreach designed to intimidate those who support direct action,' she said. Meanwhile, a new direct action group that has the same branding as Palestine Action but calls itself 'Yvette Cooper', the name of the home secretary, has emerged. The newly formed group posted footage purportedly of activists spray painting trucks belonging to Time Logistics, a company it said transports weapons for 'Israel's biggest weapons firm'. 'If you want to ban Palestine Action, you'll have to proscribe Yvette Cooper too,' the post read.
Scottish Sun
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Britain's top cop defends arrest of OAP priest, 83, at banned Palestine Action protest — ‘law has no age limit'
The priest appeared to be showing placards in support of Palestine Action at the Parliament Square demo 'NO LIMITS' Britain's top cop defends arrest of OAP priest, 83, at banned Palestine Action protest — 'law has no age limit' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITAIN'S top cop has defended the arrest of an 83-year-old at a Palestine Action protest, saying the law has no age limit. Retired priest the Reverend Sue Parfitt was held on Saturday, the day the group was banned under terror laws. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has defended the arrest of an 83-year-old at a Palestine Action protest, saying the law has no age limit Credit: Getty 2 Rev Parfitt, 83, was arrested after she appeared to be showing placards in support of Palestine Action at the Parliament Square demo Credit: PA Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'The law doesn't have an age limit, whether you're 18 or 80. "If you're supporting proscribed groups, then the law is going to be enforced.' Rev Parfitt appeared to be showing placards in support of Palestine Action at the Parliament Square demo. In total, 29 people were arrested. All have been bailed pending further enquiries. Palestine Action was banned after vandalising aircraft at RAF Brize Norton on June 20. Supporting a proscribed group is a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Yesterday Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, 81, faced calls to be prosecuted for labelling Palestine Action a 'great organisation' in a video. Waters, 81, also praised rapper Bob Vylan - who led chants of 'death to the IDF' at the Glastonbury festival. The Campaign Against Antisemitism vowed to bring a private prosecution if the rocker was not charged. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would seek to bring a private prosecution if he was not charged.
The Irish Sun
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Britain's top cop defends arrest of OAP priest, 83, at banned Palestine Action protest — ‘law has no age limit'
BRITAIN'S top cop has defended the arrest of an 83-year-old at a Palestine Action protest, saying the law has no age limit. Retired priest the Reverend Sue Parfitt was held on Saturday, the day the group was banned under terror laws. 2 Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has defended the arrest of an 83-year-old at a Palestine Action protest, saying the law has no age limit Credit: Getty 2 Rev Parfitt, 83, was arrested after she appeared to be showing placards in support of Palestine Action at the Parliament Square demo Credit: PA law doesn't have an age limit, whether you're 18 or 80. "If you're supporting proscribed groups, then the law is going to be enforced.' Rev Parfitt appeared to be showing placards in support of In total, 29 people were arrested. READ MORE UK NEWS All have been bailed pending further enquiries. Palestine Action was banned after Supporting a proscribed group is a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Yesterday Most read in The Sun Waters, 81, also praised rapper The Campaign Against Antisemitism vowed to bring a private prosecution if the rocker was not charged. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would seek to bring a private prosecution if he was not charged. Fury as Glastonbury crowd chants 'death to the IDF' during Bob Vylan set aired live on BBC
Middle East Eye
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK arrests 83-year-old priest for backing Palestine Action and opposing Gaza genocide
An 83-year-old retired priest has been arrested for defying a newly enforced ban on pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, just hours after the group was formally outlawed by the UK government. The Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, was detained for holding a placard that read: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' She was among more than 27 people arrested on Saturday for acts of defiance against the proscription. Parfitt's arrest has sparked widespread outrage on social media. One user called it 'the march of authoritarianism & crackdown on freedom of speech & expression,' while another questioned whether it was now illegal to call her 'a hero.' Her friend, Jerry Hicks, demanded her release, stating: 'She is against genocide & that's not a crime.' Another social media user said "Incredibly brave stuff here from Reverend Sue Parfitt. These are the people we will remember fondly when all of this is a distant nightmare." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The arrests came just after midnight on Saturday, as a government order to label Palestine Action a terrorist group took legal effect. Supporting or joining the group now carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had announced the ban following the group's admission of vandalising two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June. British police claimed that the damage totalled around £7 million. This could not be independently verified. Palestine Action had attempted to delay the move through the courts. A High Court bid for interim relief was denied on Friday, and the Court of Appeal upheld that decision less than two hours before the ban was due to take effect. MPs had voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to proscribe the direct action group, alongside the neo-Nazi Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement. Human rights advocates have criticised the government's decision as a disproportionate response aimed at silencing dissent. Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has targeted firms supplying arms to Israel, saying it aims to shut down facilities complicit in Israeli war crimes. The group denies any affiliation with terrorist activity.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British Model Jade Parfitt's Mission to Bring Fashion to the Masses
LONDON — British model Jade Parfitt is on a mission to take fashion beyond the parameters of London. The model and television presenter will host the second edition of Bath Fashion Festival on June 7 and 8 in Bath, a city in Somerset that's famed for its Roman baths and locations for Netflix's 'Bridgerton.' More from WWD Jisoo, Tomorrow X Together, Han So-Hee: Inside Dior's Star-studded Retrospective Opening in Seoul Art Deco Turns 100: How Will You Celebrate? Craving More Fashion Archives? 10 Corso Como to the Rescue Parfitt founded the festival last year with Mickey Luke, which included talks, fashion shows, interactive workshops, pop-up shops and an exhibition. The inaugural event drew in the likes of Sarah Mower, Anne-Marie Curtis, Erin O'Connor and Sam McKnight to participate. This year's edition returns to the Holburne Museum with similar activations and a lineup that features Ateh Jewel, Caroline Hirons, Alex Box, MAC Cosmetics, NRBY, Albaray, Nicholas Wylde, Neem London and Jodie Kidd. A collection of Giles Deacon's couture and red carpet pieces will be exhibited at the festival and will run beyond the weekend on display in the same room as paintings from Gainsborough, Guardi, Stubbs, Ramsay and Zoffany that are part of the museum's permanent collection. The previous year's display was a corset installation from Vivienne Westwood along with archival Manolo Blahnik shoes. Parfitt will interview Deacon on a panel on June 7. The model first tested the waters for her idea by hosting a charitable fashion event at the Holburne Museum in 2022. 'I know that a lot of people in Bath are ex-Londoners and it's a very creative, vibrant community here. The event sold out and had a waiting list,' Parfitt said in an interview. She used her expansive contact book to create something that wasn't London-centric. 'After I had my first son, I switched gears and learned about the fashion industry from a different angle. I hosted panel talks and charitable fashion events — and one lasting thread throughout my career has been friends or people that I meet asking to tag along to a show or exhibition with me,' Parfitt said. 'I sort of realized that our world, if you're not actually in it, is very hard to break into and be involved in. There's very few consumer-facing events for fashion fans.' Parfitt wants to amplify the city of Bath through the Bath Fashion Festival. Fashion students from Bath Spa University have been invited to stage a fashion show with their designs. 'What we're about is lifting the lid on an industry that can feel very elitist, but it's an industry full of really interesting, creative people that work really, really hard. So many assumptions get made when you say you work in fashion, but this is about diving in deep and actually getting to meet some of those people that have built incredible careers in the industry,' Parfitt said. The model started in the world of fashion at the age of 15, when she won a modeling competition on the British television show 'This Morning' and was awarded with a contract with the modeling agency Models1. Parfitt made her runway debut in October 1994 for Prada's spring 1995 show at Milan Fashion Week. 'My agency were beside themselves, but I didn't really know anything. I'd heard of Chanel, but I didn't necessarily know what Prada was, which sounds mad saying out loud now,' she said. 'For somebody that didn't know that much about fashion, what I did know was that every other model in the room was incredibly famous — there was Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington. Suddenly, I really got the fear, I was quaking in my boots backstage.' Parfitt remembers not rehearsing at all for her Prada debut and that initial first steps on the runway were her first ever. 'I looked like a Bambi startled in the headlights. I was so young and I realized one of my arms wasn't moving, it was frozen. I remember being really harsh on myself, but what an incredible honor,' she recalled. Over her decades long career, she has walked in the runway shows of Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler and Lee Alexander McQueen under his own brand and at Givenchy. 'I certainly didn't think I'd still be in [fashion] at age 46. I've had a lot of time out here and there to have my children and so on, but when I do a shoot or a runway show, it's so lovely to meet all these different people. It's quite intoxicating working with people who are so passionate about their industry,' she said. Parfitt wants to use her Bath Fashion Festival to connect with people. She can see the festival going on the road to places like Dublin, Edinburgh and even London. 'Even in London, it's hard to actually connect with the industry if you're not directly in it. We love Bath and we want it to become part of the annual calendar here,' she said. Best of WWD 14 Cutest Kate Middleton and Prince William's Look-alike Couple Style Moments [PHOTOS] Usher's Style Through the Decades: From the Archives Dior's Creative Directors Through the Years: From Christian Dior to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Jonathan Anderson
