Latest news with #civildisobedience
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Judgment due in Palestine Action court bid for temporary block on terror ban
A High Court judge will give a decision on whether to grant a temporary block on banning Palestine Action as a terror group on Friday. Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, is asking the court to temporarily block the Government from banning the group as a terrorist organisation before a potential legal challenge against the decision to proscribe it under the Terrorism Act 2000. The move is to come into force at midnight after being approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this week, and would make membership and support for the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Home Office is opposing bids to delay the ban from becoming law, and the potential launch of a legal challenge against the decision. At the end of a hearing on Friday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said he 'realistically' planned to give his decision after 5.30pm. Lawyers for Ms Ammori said that if the temporary block was not granted, a bid to appeal against that decision could be made on Friday evening. During the hearing, Raza Husain KC, for Ms Ammori, told the London court that this would be the first time a 'direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists'. He added that his client had been 'inspired' by a long history of direct action in the UK, 'from the suffragettes to anti-apartheid activists, to Iraq war activists'. Quoting Ms Ammori, the barrister said that the group had 'never encouraged harm to any person at all' and that its goal 'is to put ourselves in the way of the military machine'. He continued: 'We ask you, in the first instance, to suspend until July 21 what we say is an ill-considered, discriminatory and authoritarian abuse of statutory power which is alien to the basic tradition of the common law and is contrary to the Human Rights Act.' The hearing later in July is expected to deal with whether Ms Ammori can bring a High Court challenge over the planned proscription. Mr Husain later said that to proscribe an organisation, the Home Secretary 'has got to believe that the organisation is concerned in terrorism'. Some 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas, al Qaida and National Action. Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also representing Ms Ammori, told the court that if the ban came into effect the harm would be 'far-reaching', could cause 'irreparable harm to large numbers of members of the public', including causing some to 'self-censor'. The barrister named Normal People author Sally Rooney, who lives abroad and 'fears the ramifications for her, for her work, for her books, for her programmes' if she shows support for Palestine Action. 'Is the Prime Minister going to denounce her, an Irish artist, as a supporter of a proscribed organisation?' 'Will that have ramifications for her with the BBC, etc?' Ms Ni Ghralaigh asked. Ben Watson KC, for the Home Office, told the High Court there was an 'insuperable hurdle' in the bid to temporarily block the ban of Palestine Action. The barrister also said that if a temporary block was granted, it would be a 'serious disfigurement of the statutory regime'. He said Palestine Action could challenge the Home Secretary's decision at the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, a specialist tribunal, rather than at the High Court. Friday's hearing comes after an estimated £7 million worth of damage was caused to two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton on June 20, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, saying that the vandalism of the two planes was 'disgraceful' and that the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'. Mr Justice Chamberlain said that an assessment on whether to ban the group had been made as early as March, and 'preceded' the incident at RAF Brize Norton. Four people were charged in connection with the incident.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judgment due in Palestine Action court bid for temporary block on terror ban
A High Court judge will give a decision on whether to grant a temporary block on banning Palestine Action as a terror group on Friday. Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, is asking the court to temporarily block the Government from banning the group as a terrorist organisation before a potential legal challenge against the decision to proscribe it under the Terrorism Act 2000. The move is to come into force at midnight after being approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this week, and would make membership and support for the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Home Office is opposing bids to delay the ban from becoming law, and the potential launch of a legal challenge against the decision. At the end of a hearing on Friday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said he 'realistically' planned to give his decision after 5.30pm. Lawyers for Ms Ammori said that if the temporary block was not granted, a bid to appeal against that decision could be made on Friday evening. During the hearing, Raza Husain KC, for Ms Ammori, told the London court that this would be the first time a 'direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists'. He added that his client had been 'inspired' by a long history of direct action in the UK, 'from the suffragettes to anti-apartheid activists, to Iraq war activists'. Quoting Ms Ammori, the barrister said that the group had 'never encouraged harm to any person at all' and that its goal 'is to put ourselves in the way of the military machine'. He continued: 'We ask you, in the first instance, to suspend until July 21 what we say is an ill-considered, discriminatory and authoritarian abuse of statutory power which is alien to the basic tradition of the common law and is contrary to the Human Rights Act.' The hearing later in July is expected to deal with whether Ms Ammori can bring a High Court challenge over the planned proscription. Mr Husain later said that to proscribe an organisation, the Home Secretary 'has got to believe that the organisation is concerned in terrorism'. Some 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas, al Qaida and National Action. Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also representing Ms Ammori, told the court that if the ban came into effect the harm would be 'far-reaching', could cause 'irreparable harm to large numbers of members of the public', including causing some to 'self-censor'. The barrister named Normal People author Sally Rooney, who lives abroad and 'fears the ramifications for her, for her work, for her books, for her programmes' if she shows support for Palestine Action. 'Is the Prime Minister going to denounce her, an Irish artist, as a supporter of a proscribed organisation?' 'Will that have ramifications for her with the BBC, etc?' Ms Ni Ghralaigh asked. Ben Watson KC, for the Home Office, told the High Court there was an 'insuperable hurdle' in the bid to temporarily block the ban of Palestine Action. The barrister also said that if a temporary block was granted, it would be a 'serious disfigurement of the statutory regime'. He said Palestine Action could challenge the Home Secretary's decision at the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, a specialist tribunal, rather than at the High Court. Friday's hearing comes after an estimated £7 million worth of damage was caused to two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton on June 20, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, saying that the vandalism of the two planes was 'disgraceful' and that the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'. Mr Justice Chamberlain said that an assessment on whether to ban the group had been made as early as March, and 'preceded' the incident at RAF Brize Norton. Four people were charged in connection with the incident.
Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Palestine Action claims ban is ‘authoritarian abuse' of power
Palestine Action has labelled the government 'authoritarian' and compared its activists to the Suffragettes as part of an 11th hour bid to avoid being banned as a terrorist organisation. The group's founder, Huda Ammori, has asked the High Court to temporarily block the government from proscribing it under the Terrorism Act. The ban is set to become law at midnight on Saturday after being approved by the House of Commons and the House of Lords. If it goes ahead, membership and support for Palestine Action would become a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. 'This is the first time in our history that a direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists,' Raza Husain KC, representing Ammori, said. Husain said his client 'was inspired by the long tradition of direct action in this country', including the Suffragettes and movements against apartheid and the Iraq War, and wished to take action 'to prevent harm before it happens'. Quoting Ammori, the barrister continued that the group had 'never encouraged harm to any person at all' and that its goal 'is to put ourselves in the way of the military machine perpetrating genocide'. • Revealed: Palestine Action's map of UK targets Addressing Mr Justice Chamberlain, Husain said: 'We ask you, in the first instance, to suspend until July 21 what we say is an ill-considered, discriminatory and authoritarian abuse of statutory power which is alien to the basic tradition of the common law and is contrary to the Human Rights Act.' The Home Office is opposing both the bid to delay the ban from becoming law, and the potential attempt to launch a legal challenge against the decision. There was a heavy police presence with dozens of officers and several police vans in the street outside the Royal Courts of Justice as several hundred protesters gathered. The group's supporters waved Palestinian flags and held placards as organisers beat drums and chanted slogans. • Chants of 'death to the IDF' as Palestine Action members face court Protesters, ranging from children to the elderly, described the bans as 'erasing resistance' and an 'outrageous' attack on a democratic right to protest. Many protesters said they will still support the cause, even if the proscription comes into force. A minor scuffle unfolded mid-morning after a counterprotester from Our Fight UK, a pro-Israeli group, was removed. No arrests were made as the two protesters were moved away from the Palestine Action protest. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, moved to proscribe the group after activists caused an alleged £7 million worth of damage to two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton on June 20. The group has also repeatedly targeted the Elbit Systems UK, which it says makes military hardware for the Israel Defence Forces. In the hearing, Palestine Action argued that the criminal damage it has meted out to its targets does not constitute terrorism, although it conceded its activists caused 'serious damage to property', as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000. Palestine Action said that the government's use of its statutory power needs to be balanced against the group's human rights, including freedom of expression and the right to peaceful association. Chamberlain suggested an assessment on whether to ban Palestine Action under terrorist laws had been made as early as March, and 'preceded' the incident at RAF Brize Norton. Husain replied: 'Yes they did, and that is very relevant to today because it is very relevant to timing.'
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ban on Palestine Action will rebound on Labour
In 1983, along with thousands of other women, I cut down sections of the fence around RAF Greenham Common, which was to house nuclear weapons in the form of cruise missiles (Greenham Common women urge new generation to 'rise up' against nuclear threat, 27 July). Arrested and fined £50 for criminal damage, I was jailed for a couple of weeks for refusing to pay the fine. After the missiles arrived in 1984, I joined Cruisewatch actions, which, by obstructing the convoys on the road and throwing paintballs at them, prevented any missile deployment exercises taking place in secret. Again the charges were not severe. Arrested on Salisbury Plain on one occasion, my friends and I were released without charge. Women who did more than £10,000 worth of damage by painting the Blackbird spy plane in 1983 also had their charges dropped. This week, if the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has her way, those committing similar kinds of criminal damage could face 14 years in jail for 'terrorism' (Free speech target or terrorist gang? The inside story of Palestine Action – and the plan to ban it, 28 June). Yet nonviolent civil disobedience works. In 2004, Mikhail Gorbachev said he attended the 1986 Reykjavik summit because he was confident that 'the Greenham Common women and the peace movements of Europe […] would not let America take advantage if we took this step forward'. That step led to a 1987 treaty removing tactical nuclear weapons, including cruise missiles, from Europe. Keir Starmer plans once again to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, under US government control, on British soil and mass protests are already planned. As the Guardian pointed out in its excellent editorial on Palestine Action (23 June), Starmer might think that 'redefining visible dissent as a national security threat is a way to contain public anger', but it is unlikely to make it go away. On the contrary, Margaret Thatcher's government appeared to recognise that increased repression of 'eccentric' women might actually increase popular support for a cause. Perhaps he could learn Lynne JonesMousehole, Cornwall My daughter is in prison awaiting trial in relation to direct action against an Israeli‑owned weapons company last summer by Palestine Action. I am reeling at the news that Yvette Cooper is planning to add the group to the terror list. This is hypocrisy of the highest order. My daughter joined Palestine Action because she saw her government breaking international humanitarian law by partnering in Israel's genocide, including supplying weapons, and she saw that all the marches she attended and petitions she signed were roundly ignored. If Palestine Action is criminalised, so will all the people be who provide support without taking direct action themselves. Palestine Action volunteers give my daughter invaluable emotional and practical support. They visit her in prison, speak to her on the phone, write her letters and send her money and books. Will they be forced to stop, or face prison themselves? People of conscience are not terrorists or criminals. That label belongs to a government that is arming regimes, committing crimes against humanity, and crushing anyone at home who opposes these illegal acts. I think the wrong people are in and address supplied I wholeheartedly agree with Juliet Stevenson's article (Palestine Action spraying paint is not terrorism. As ministers abuse their powers, I feel a duty to speak out, 30 June). I wonder whether Yvette Cooper would be where she is today without the often extreme actions of the suffragettes. Claire JauffretWimbledon, London Sally Rooney's brilliant defence of Palestine Action deserves wide support (Israel kills innocent Palestinians. Activists spray-paint a plane. Guess which the UK government calls terrorism, 22 June). If it is indeed made a proscribed organisation, I urge admirers of its non-violent protest to express their approval of the group in public at every opportunity. Let the police arrest all of us, send us to trial. If we believe in freedom of speech, the least we can do is to reconcile ourselves to the possibility of incarceration for the sake of that hard-won right. It is our right to express approval of non-violent direct action against cooperation with those who commit war crimes. If courts and prisons are clogged and overflowing as a result, the government will soon get the message not to mess with reasonable Graham MurphyLiverpool Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
South China Morning Post
29-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's opposition party folds, citing ‘immense political pressure' and ‘safety fears'
Hong Kong's opposition League of Social Democrats on Sunday cited 'immense political pressure' and 'safety' of its members in folding the party months before its 20th anniversary. 'We sadly announce that facing immense political pressure, and having considered all factors, especially the safety of our members and those who walk with us, we can only sadly announce our dissolution,' the party chairwoman Chan Po-ying said on Sunday. When asked to specify the 'political pressure' it faced, Chan said she could say nothing beyond the 'disbandment statement' the party prepared. The press conference at a Chai Wan industrial building was attended by Chan and six members, such as Figo Chan Ho-wun, Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, Raphael Wong Ho-ming and Tsang Kin-shing. There was a heavy police presence outside the venue, with dozens of media outlets packing the small room. Reading the statement titled 'rather be ashes than dust' in a press conference, Chan said the party, established for 19 years, recently experienced a 'crisis where almost all of its leadership faced imprisonment due to civil disobedience'.
