Tootfinder

Many arrests, as predicted.
I'm curious about this part of the BBC's write-up:
"A Home Office spokesperson said the decision to proscribe the group [i.e. Palestine Action] was based on "strong security advice" following "serious attacks the group had committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage"."
What is this "violence" and "significant injuries"? I don't remember reading about that. The only thing I've seen reported is damage to property.
#protest #London #PalestineAction

I may be jumping the gun here, but “Der Starmführer” is just too good a name to leave laying on the table.
A text description of the attached video follows. (It was too long for ALT text.)
#ukpol #palestine #terrorism

The cops and the government suggest that tomorrow's protest against the proscription of Palestine Action should be postponed because a crazy person done some murders.
The home secretary says
“If the point of protest is to stand up for something and persuade other people that you are right, then I think this is entirely the wrong way to go about it, but that is on their conscience.”
That is not the point of the protest. The point of the protest is to show that the proscription of a non violent protest organization under terrorism laws is ridiculous and unenforceable as well as being a massive waste of police and court time.
Delaying the protest would harm that demonstration. The police are over stretched and can't enforce this stupid counter-productive proscription without compromising their duty elsewhere.
Demonstrating that is the point of the protest, and police saying "We are too stretched to arrest all these demonstrators" just reinforces that point all the more.
You know what police and government? You could just not persecute non violent protestors as terrorists. That'd solve your over-stretched police resources problem in one stroke!
#palestineAction #ukpol #protest

Good thread commenting on union input to the Barcelona protest, from @…:
#unions #Barcelona #Palestine

Useful bit of political/legal analysis from @….
Plus bonus enjoyment from this little piece of advice:
"(As a general rule, the more reliance which is placed on how “distinguished” a lawyer is making a point, the weaker the legal point being made.)"
Haha!
#law #UKPol #Palestine

I said already that the Palestine Action proscription was bringing the law into disrepute.
Now we see how it's bringing the law into disrepute even with police officers charged with enforcing it.
“I was told to help in the arrest of a disabled person for holding up the sign stating they opposed genocide and supported Palestine Action, which I did.
“I did it knowing it had nothing to do with upholding justice or our professional values, just to protect my job and livelihood. My father was an officer, and the reason I came into the police. I know he would be ashamed and turning in his grave if he saw what I did. ...
“Instead of catching real criminals and terrorists, we are arresting pensioners and disabled people calling for the saving of children’s lives ... It makes me question why I’m even in this career anymore.”
- police officer
People in the Crown Prosecution Service not happy about it either apparently. Interesting article.
(I don't like that they used "mad" in the headline though. I realise it was a quote, but I bet there were some other quotable words they could've chosen.)
#PalestineAction #police #CPS #UKLaw #UKPol

Good thread from @… on the right headspace for encountering requests here from people in Gaza.
"Remember a simple thing: you alone cannot do it. It doesn’t depend on you. It depends on all of us. ...
"The occupation uses stochasticism to make you exhausted & heartbroken!
"Release your guilt, be kind, talk to people as people, & do what you can."
#Palestine #Gaza

From Martin Shaw in New Lines magazine.
"I may have missed something, but the major Western publications that have recently carried “genocide” editorials or prominent features have devoted virtually no space to the measures that governments should take against Israel to stop the genocide. It’s as though they are saying, “Yes, it’s a genocide, but what can we do about it?” ...
"How many have identified the arms flows from their countries to Israel? How many have reported on the deep political ties between their ruling political parties and Israel? Or have covered military collaboration, which in the case of Britain has helped the Israeli military to keep bombing civilians over 21 months, through surveillance flights over Gaza and extensive data sharing? ...
"Since even genocide-aware media are not reporting how Israel’s policies are made possible by wider Western support, they are also very weak in identifying policies that might break it. ...
"Today, genocide scholars, the serious press and even voters have interpreted Gaza as a genocide — but the point is to stop it. Until we do that, we are still in denial."
#Gaza #Palestine #Israel

"After Saturday’s protest, the chair of the Metropolitan police federation said officers policing protests in London were “emotionally and physically exhausted”.
"Paula Dodds said: “Enough is enough. Our concentration should be on keeping people safe at a time when the country is on heightened alert from a terrorist attack. And instead officers are being drawn in to facilitate these relentless protests.”"
Well that's the government's fault for having completely unnecessarily created this conflict and brought the law into disrepute!
No wonder the police are "emotionally exhausted", when they have to keep on arresting peaceful old people like their grandparents, and being mocked for it! Not what any of them probably imagined their job was gonna be!
But this to me is the worst bit of news in that article:
"The planned new power follows protest-related measures in the crime and policing bill going through parliament, which bans the possession of face coverings ... at protests"
Planning to ban masks, in the time of covid. Denial or what.
I wonder if they've done an "impact assessment" for that bit of the law, because it certainly would disproportionately affect people disabled with Long Covid & similar things.
#UKLaw #masks #London #protests #Palestine #CovidIsntOver #KeirStarmer

UK police conflating "support for Palestine" with "support for proscribed group Palestine Action".
When they passed that law, I _thought_ things might slide this way at some point!
"In the encounter, which she filmed, one officer told her: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.”
"He went on to say that the phrase “Free Gaza” is “supportive of Palestine Action”, adding it was an offence “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act”. The officer told her she had committed that offence."
Starmer & co really need to speak out if this _wasn't_ exactly what they wanted to have happen :-/
#FreedomOfSpeech #UK #law #PalestineAction #censorship #police #Palestine #Israel #UKPol

Sick at heart at what I'm seeing, and the collusion and acquiescence of our government.
Never again is now, and we're failing.
#Palestine #Gaza #Israel #NeverAgainIsNow

Appreciating these reflections from writer & organiser Simone Zimmerman.
"Standing at the action that day, I was heartened to witness the growing ranks of Jews standing against the horrors in Gaza. But the presence of these progressive Zionist groups also provided a painful reminder of their long absence. ...
"Jewish communities should ask themselves “What would you have done to stop the annihilation of the Jews of Europe?” and should do just that for Palestinians now. You are either for genocide or against it.
"... most of us—myself included—had our own painful confrontation with Zionism. We recall both the isolation of being cast out of the mainstream Jewish community and the sweetness of building new relationships of solidarity. I’m only here today because many people offered me an off-ramp. That’s why many in my position feel that it is our responsibility to engage—to exercise humility and grace as we sit with other Jews in their fear and shame, and invite them to take action with us."
#Israel #Palestine #Gaza #Judaism

“I’ve been a very law-abiding citizen and very respectful of authority all my life but I knew I had to do this and it was my duty to do this.”
- Deborah Hinton, 81
“The focus shouldn’t be on Palestine Action. The focus should be on what the government isn’t doing for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
- Father John McGowan, 75
“As a former officer in the British army, I am horrified that the government is misusing our armed forces to be complicit in the genocide rather than to end it.”
- Chris Romberg, 75
“Palestine Action’s methods sit very uneasily with me. It’s difficult to accept that vandalism is the only way to go. However, I feel we have to do something and I support their stand against genocide.”
- Richard Whitmore-Jones, 74
“The policeman said: ‘You’re a bit heavy.’ He had to call one of his friends over to help carry me. I thought that was a bit of a liberty.”
- Trevelyan Evans, 64
#PalestineAction #protests #UKLaw #Gaza #Palestine #Israel

Useful analysis from Nour Haidar on the wider implications of proscribing Palestine Action, inc blurring the difference between property-harm and people-harm.
#UK #terrorism #law #UKPol #UKlaw #PalestineAction

521 arrests yesterday "for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action at Westminster's Parliament Square".
Bad for the reputation of the law, bad for the country.
Also, preposterous to contend that this is a good use of police time. Go and retrieve some stolen bikes!
#UKLaw #UKPol #London #police #PalestineAction