Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I am aware lots of local people are deeply concerned about the horrific situation in Gaza and the capacity to freely express views about what is going on in the region.
For context, the Government always keeps the list of proscribed organisations under close review, as it seeks to protect the British people from threats that our country face. It is taking this step at this time against Palestine Action because the Home Office has determined that this group’s activities now meet the threshold set out in the statutory tests established under the Terrorism Act. I note that a wide range of experts, including from the police and the Security Services contributed to this assessment as part of a robust evidence-based process.
The bar for proscription of any organisation is very high and involves the group facilitating or promoting the following:
- Serious violence against a person.
- Serious damage to property.
- Serious endangerment to a person’s life (other than that of the person committing the act).
- Serious risk to health or safety of the public or a section of the public.
- Serious disruption or interference with an electronic system.
Palestine Action have organised a series of severe vandalisms to properties over the last four years at the least, not just the recent damage at RAF Brize Norton. In addition to this, incidents were highlighted to those in parliament in which there was not just criminal damage to buildings but also threats of harm and actual physical violence toward individuals. I was privy to these confidential briefings that offered further evidence informing my decision to vote in favour of the organisation’s proscription. These included current court cases not publicly discussed in the parliamentary chamber. As the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper states:
“The seriousness of these attacks includes the extent and nature of damage caused, including to targets affecting UK national security, and the impact on innocent members of the public fleeing for safety and subjected to violence. The extent of damage across these three attacks alone, spreading the length and breadth of the UK, runs into the millions of pounds.”
You can read Yvette Cooper’s full statement about the Home Office’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000 here.
Ultimately, the request of the police and security services for the organisation to be proscribed was not based on its cause or views, but the consequences of their actions and the intimidation and fear they are generating as a result.
My decision to vote in favour of Palestine Action’s proscription came out of my belief that minimising the seriousness of deliberate use of violence and assault against individuals in pursuit of any political cause would severely harm our democracy. It is important that a clear distinction is made between peaceful protest or non-violent direct action, and direct harm or the incitement of fear of harm to advance a cause.
Speaking up, organising and protesting the atrocities in Gaza and the hostilities of the Israeli Government are vital actions to keep the issue in the public eye and doing this peacefully, separate to Palestine Action, is not incriminating.