Just to be clear because everybody seems to be missing this point.
Palestinian Action, is an organisation. Membership of that group is banned, it is not illegal to support Palestinians or to call out Israel's genocide. The government doesn't like it when you do, but it's not actually illegal for you to do it.
This organisation broke into a UK air force base in order to protest. They are not being charged because they protested, they're being charged for breaking in and damaging a lot of military equipment. I think it's a bit far to call them terrorists, but you can sort of see the government's point, if you squint.
The UK government does however absolutely deserve to get it in the neck for their support of Israel. Labour have had a pretty awkward relationship with Israel in particular and anti-Semitism in general for a long time, and they're now keen to be seen as supporters, but there are limits.
Looks like the UK is going down the American road here. It's time for all those UK citizens that said, "Rise up now!" to Americans months ago....time to rise up! Give us a great example!
Oh, you can't because you have to work for a living? How about that....
They are doing this because Palestine Action has been incredibly effective. They have already forced the closure of two factories in England that produce arms for Israeli defense company Elbit and forced Barclays Bank to divest through sustained sabotage campaigns. No person has been hurt by their actions, yet these actions have cost the genocide supporters millions of pounds and caused months-long disruptions to the production of weapons used in ethnic clean songs around the globe (Elbit weapons are fueling not just the Palestine ethnic cleaning, but Kashmir and DRC, too).
Not only is the ruling wrong - it is the very thing it claims to be opposing. It is itself an act of terrorism, carried out with the intention of inspiring fear in the British public to further a political agenda.
In every way, the British government is replicating the actions it accuses PA of - except that the scale of harm to British society and the terror inspired is magnitudes greater, and performed in service of the opposite political goal.
This is a terror attack by the government against the British people.
The British people's opinion and will are the thing from which the goverment gains it's only source of legitimacy - and they do not line up with the government on this issue.
But evidently the government believes in a different model of legitimacy: they believe that legitimacy is derived from the mere fact that they hold power. In the mind of the government and it's supporters, the difference between a terrorist organisation and a legitimate government is just power and only power. To them, right and wrong has absolutely nothing to do with it. They think that they are winning, and that they are going to get away with it. Nothing else matters.
I'm more shocked it hasn't already happened to Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain or Just Stop Oil.
But I guess blockading motorways and rocking up to art museums dressed like extras from a Wham music video and defacing paintings makes you less of a threat than wanting Netanyahu to stop his genocide of the Palestinian people.
It's important to remember that the headline refers to the group Palestine action, which has carried out vandalisation of historical pieces, occupations of property, destruction etc (see here). So it's a group that fits the UK definition of an extremist group.
Some political groups (or even branches of them) can be political cults trapping members with coercive control It's not always idealistic well meaning people. The court that decreed them an unlawful group will have seen a lot of info we didn't.
There are few things I like about being an American, but one of them is the first amendment. It doesn't always work, and Trump is sure to try some shit like this soon, but at least I know for now I won't go to prison for saying that I do indeed support Palestine Action
Crazy. I thought Palestine Action was oddly capitalized. They're a fucking group. They're an organization- I thought they were banning supporting ending a genocide, but they're shutting down a based and vandal-pilled activist group.
Uh, I've never heard of them but fuck it. I support Palestine Action. You can't just censor people or opinions out of existence. wtf
I was following this and was sad to hear about this happening despite excellent counterarguments from people like Zarah Sultana. These are scary times, but I was encouraged there was at least this response yesterday (just watch the first ~45 seconds): Invidious | Youtube
At risk of sounding like that dipshit Vance, you guys don’t have free speech, not really. The uk seems to exist in a “yes, but no” realm. The press can’t report on trials such that it might influence outcome. 1988 law iirc. That’s smart, but it’s still a guardrail on speech. Some of the arrests and even sentences over there, for speech and sometimes even ideology related infractions, are a bit wild. I remember reading something about a woman being fined for calling her ex a leprechaun on social media.
That said, I feel a need to reiterate how crazy this defense of war and slaughter is. I’ve been a casual observer at best but I do not understand why either government cares if a people across an ocean (who are not and never will be boots on the ground for either side of this war) say they don’t like a war. So what? The war will rage on regardless of wether or not college students in Michigan walk around outside on a nice day holding signs. Or if some guy in London posts an objection on social media. That’s not even a speed bump to this war or either government if either government even sees or hears any of it. So why does either government even care? Why even spend energy on that? For them, it’s like a volume setting that maybe can’t be turned to zero, but in the end it’s just a bit of noise to them. So why bother? The war will continue. As such, their reaction makes no sense whatsoever.
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Come and get me!!!
2020ish...Two Presidents team up to create a world without Palestinians.
1940ish...Two dictators team up to create a world without Jews.
It was bad enough when Boris made protests illegal (did that ever go through) but this? This is disgusting.
How can Labour just do own goals day after day I do not know. At this point they’re just a continuation of the sad fucking state of Tory cabinets. From A team to B to D (was Rishi D? ) to fucking a big capital F with Starmer. I had such high hopes for them in the first week. Such lofty promises. But they’ve consistently let me down on an actual weekly basis.
It’s incredible really.
(I’ve now read the article)
Ah ok it’s an actual activist group not just a blanket law applied to everyone….
They can take it to EU court. oops haha. This is why the elites pushed for Brexit. It wasn’t just to repatriate their money from Cayman Islands tax free. It’s so they can suppress anyone that doesn’t bend the knee.
Isn't this the group that broke into a military airbase and damage several aircraft resulting in million of pounds worth of damages? I mean the security breach and the intent to maliciously damage the equipment is more than enough grounds to label the group as a terrorist group. If a right wing group or any other groups did this, everybody here would be calling them terrorists, and rightfully so. It makes sense for the UK to label this group as such, especially since they didn't disavow the attack that happened.
The people who are trying to frame this as an attack on free speech are either full of shit and intentionally spreading misinformation or they're ignorant enough to get their information from people who are full of shit and intentionally spreading misinformation. This is something that clearly has nothing to do with free speech.
the group broke into RAF Brize Norton, vandalizing and damaging two Royal Air Force Airbus A330 MRTT refuelling planes by spraying paint into their engines
Doing extremistic things and being surprised to be classified as extremists... Ahm... Alright...
will be illegal to say "I support Palestine Action"
Just say "I support Palestine" instead. Problem solved.... Saves oxygen and could have prevented the Lemmy post.
Does free speech or democracy exist if the oligarchs/states that buy your politicians/rulers force you to support those states? What would Idi Amin do (perhaps most self enriching open corrupt ruler, or the narrative that gets pinned on a ruler who shifts away from US empire)? Or as in history, UK first decided it was illegal to oppose Idi Amin (support his rivals) to later being illegal to support Idi Amin?
"To know who rules over you, notice who you are not allowed to criticize"
IIUC, it is only Palestine support that is illegal. You may still advocate for UK/NATO war on Israel or at least elimination of support, and elimination of politicians who support Israel. Limiting speech to support for all wars your rulers prefer is the most oppressive of democratic speech.