Labour’s Crackdown: Abusing Anti-Terrorism Laws to Target Palestine Protesters and Journalists

Labour is using the Terrorism Act to crack down on Palestine protesters. Last week Richard Barnard was charged with breaching anti terrorism law. He is the co founder of Palestine Action, a group that takes direct action against Israeli weapons factories in solidarity with Palestinian people. Sixteen members of Palestine Action are currently behind bars. Ten of those members were detained for a week without charge under the Terrorism Act after they caused over £1 million worth of damage to the research hub of Israel’s biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems in Filton, Bristol. The Filton 10 remain in prison after being charged with non terror offences. The government is also using anti terrorism law to target journalists. Last week counter terrorism police arrested prominent journalist and Palestine Action supporter Sarah Wilkinson for content she posted online. A week before, independent journalist Richard Medhurst was arrested under the Terrorism Act for expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation. Palestine Action has said the government is deliberately abusing counter terrorism laws to target Palestine Action and the wider movement in order to protect the interests of a foreign genocidal entity over the freedom of its own citizens.