How Israel’s genocide in Gaza pulled Britons into the Palestine movement — SkimNews
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- Claire, a 52-year-old administrator from the Scottish countryside, faces up to 14 years in prison after being arrested under Sections 11 and 12 of the Terrorism Act for publicly protesting the proscription of Palestine Action with Defend Our Juries
- Marji, a 70-year-old retired grandmother from Colchester, was arrested in July under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act after attending her first-ever protest—an Armistice Day ceasefire march in 2023—motivated by then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman's characterization of the rallies as "hate marches"
- More than 3,000 people across the UK have been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action since the group was banned in 2025, with charges including membership in a proscribed organization and encouraging others to join one
- Workers for Free Palestine, formed in late 2023 and comprising trade union members, said many workers are "afraid of the repercussions" of opposing their employers' roles in producing weapons or investing in Israel
- The Metropolitan Police arrested five people outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews in north London on the three-year anniversary of October 7 for "inciting racial hatred" over slogans calling for Intifada
- Since October 7, 2023, Israel's bombardment has killed more than 74,000 people in Gaza, the figure cited by protesters as they urge the UK government to cease all arms sales to Israel and cut diplomatic and trade ties
Why it matters: The use of counter-terrorism statutes to prosecute a 52-year-old administrator and a 70-year-old retiree for holding signs marks a sharp expansion of UK protest suppression—over 3,000 arrests and potential 14-year sentences under the Terrorism Act represent a trajectory activists describe as civil-liberties erosion designed to shield the UK government from accountability over its ties to Israel.
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