‘I can find no justification for that…’ Former Justice of the Supreme Court Lord Sumption explains the ‘serious defect’ in the terrorism act as it applies to Palestine Action.

A very sad day for the UK. The trust in the independence of the English Court is tarnished as never before.

So apparently this IS terrorism…but arming a genocide isn’t??? Do they think we are stupid?

Gaza has been a major factor behind voters leaving our party. In one recent poll, 53% of former Labour voters said it was a decisive factor. Why is this government willing to expend so much political capital to ensure weapons companies can keep arming Israel?

This Governments branding of protest as 'terrorism' has seen grandparents arrested and dragged through the courts simply for holding up signs. It's deeply authoritarian when people are speaking out against a genocide and for a free Palestine.

As former British ambassador Craig Murray notes, a raft of recent legislation has given the police and courts enormous, authoritarian powers, including the right to treat any form of civil disobedience as terrorism because it seeks to "influence the government". The timing of Judge Johnson's sentencing of the Filton Four as terrorists on Friday, after a jury had found them guilty only of a relatively minor charge of criminal damage – as well as the renewed cacophony of fake news about a policewoman having her spine broken / smashed, rebutted by Murray in his latest article – is not accidental. As Murray points out, the purpose is to smooth the path for the Court of Appeal to reverse the High Court's recent ruling that it was "unlawful" of the government to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The Appeal Court will issue its decision tomorrow (Monday). The government is desperate to ensure the crushing of Palestine Action continues and thereby prevent the group from drawing attention to the UK's continuing complicity in Israel's atrocities, such as our hosting of Israeli factories that make killer drones for use in Gaza. More from Murray here: craigmurray.org.uk/archives/…

This High Court ruling gives the government unprecedented power in determining whether or not a group may become a terrorist organisation in the future. @GreenJennyJones "This government is out of control". #PalestineAction

🚨 WTF?! Reporter Richard Gaisford confirms UK police are preparing to arrest peaceful protesters outside the High Court simply for holding signs! The British establishment is openly destroying civil liberties to shield the Zionist regime from accountability.

Brilliant words from Tim Crossland outside today’s Palestine Action court case (courtesy of Crispin Flintoff): “This is a self-defeating judgement from the state today. All we have to do is sit down with our signs saying ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.’”

"This government is treating Palestine Action as equivalent to Islamic State or Al Qaeda, which is intellectually bankrupt, politically unprincipled and morally wrong. Frankly I'm deeply ashamed" Labour peer Peter Hain in the Lords in July last year

This is absolutely insane. The suffragettes used far more extreme tactics than Palestine Action. They planted bombs, burned down private homes and smashed up art galleries. They killed five people! Her outrageous judgement is based on absurd historical ignorance.

Today’s ruling to uphold the UK government's proscription of Palestine Action is a travesty of justice. One by one, the very foundations of our democracy are being destroyed — all to oil the wheels of British complicity in genocide. Our government has participated in the mass murder of Palestinians. That is the real crime, and we must bring about justice.

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was lawful, days after four activists were sentenced as terrorists for criminal damage — a first in our legal history. More than 3,000 people have been arrested since the proscription - most for holding placards - and over 700 charged under the Terrorism Act. Not everyone will agree with the protesters’ politics, but the misuse of counter-terrorism powers to criminalise dissent should terrify us all. I voted against the proscription last year and I will continue to stand up for the right to protest.

Parliament should reverse the decision to proscribe Palestine Action urgently before we see large numbers of elderly people in particular being dragged before our courts. Classifying protest through direct action as terrorism brings Parliament & our judicial system into disrepute

3 of the 4 people didn’t attack the police officer and all of the 4 were cleared of violent intent. So the only disgrace here is the lie you’re telling to justify a clear miscarriage of justice & the use of anti-terror laws to justify your government’s complicity in a genocide.

RT @GyllKing: No spines were shattered at Filton. The officer walked unaided from A&E. Later a small, hairline fracture to the transverse p…

Remember what the Filton actionists did They decommissioned the machinery of genocide The moral equivalent of destroying Zyklon B canisters at Auschwitz A British judge is now sentencing them as 'terrorists' for it

The sentences handed to four young activists for taking direct action at an Israeli arms factory are completely disproportionate and wrong. They've been sentenced for a "terrorist connection" they were never charged with. A clear miscarriage of justice and dangerous precedent.

You can vehemently disagree with Palestine Action activists goals, whilst simultaneously be horrified a judge can decide AFTER a conviction if it was terrorism related amd double a sentence. Being able to class an offense as terrorism AFTER conviction without charging them with terrorism should bother everyone. Any protest action that is now determined as trying to "change government policy" can have this applied. So today it's Palestine Action, but next it'll be immigration protests, farmers protests, NHS, tax etc etc.

Stop the use of counter-terrorism powers against pro-Palestine activists - Sign the Petition! c.org/8R5rpwZVy7 via @UKChange