- UK government accused of authoritarian policies amidst pro-Palestine protests
- State expands definition of “extremism” to stifle dissenting voices
- Palestine Action faces state scrutiny, vows to continue activism
The United Kingdom is currently experiencing a pervasive and concerning inundation of authoritarian policies.
The unwavering endorsement of Israel by our government since October has initiated a period of state coercion, thereby exposing the illusory nature of democracy in the United Kingdom.
The Conservative Party government expanded police powers and moved to weaponize concerns over so-called “extremism” in response to weekly pro-Palestine demonstrations against Israel’s assault on Gaza, which were attended by hundreds of thousands in London and other major British cities. Its prominent figures stigmatized nonviolent demonstrators who were exercising their democratic rights, labelling them “hate marchers” and “mobs” and categorizing all opposition to Israel’s occupation and war as motivated by bigotry and hatred.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned a “shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality” in the country on March 1 in an impromptu address to the nation in response to the by-election victory of an independent candidate who ran on a pro-Palestine platform. He also pledged to implement a robust new framework that would enable his government to combat “extremism” at its source. This framework, many feared, would be another attempt by the undefeated to seize power.
Communities Secretary Michael Gove brought to fruition these concerns two weeks later with the introduction of a new definition of “extremism” that prohibits certain organizations from receiving government funding and meeting with officials.
As per the revised definition, extremism is defined as “the advancement or promotion of an ideology founded on violence, hatred, or intolerance, with the intention of undermining, overturning, or substituting the democratic rights and fundamental rights system of the United Kingdom with one of its own.” Additionally, anything that “intentionally creates a permissive environment for others to achieve” the objectives above is encompassed within the definition.
Such a deliberately ambiguous and subjective definition would have the sole effect of criminalizing, silencing, and marginalizing numerous Muslim communities, civil liberties organizations, and others engaged in efforts to defend human rights and international law in Palestine. In essence, it possesses the capacity to label as “extremist” any group or individual that does not share the government’s unequivocal support for Israel.
Palestine Action, a front-line organization, is confronted with the risk of being stigmatized as “extremist” on account of the moral measures undertaken by its members to end the United Kingdom’s support for Israel’s occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian territories.
Palestine Action has primarily directed its campaign towards the offices and subsidiary factories of Elbit Systems in the United Kingdom. Elbit Systems, the largest armament manufacturer in Israel, provides approximately 85 per cent of the land and air munitions utilized by its military.
Palestine Action has compelled the irrevocable closure of Elbit’s Oldham factory and compelled the company to vacate its London headquarters since its establishment in 2020. The dissolution of contracts valued at 280 million pounds ($353.6m) between Elbit Systems and the UK Ministry of Defence was the result of the group’s protest action in 2022. Our campaign has effectively compelled a number of prominent British and European corporations to sever their connections with Elbit irrevocably.
It has been widely recognized that the government is dissatisfied with the outcomes of our campaign targeting Elbit Systems and Israeli interests at large. Therefore, it was unsurprising that Palestine Action was included in the draft plan of Gove’s new definition as an organization that could be classified under the expanded “extremism” category.
Nevertheless, we shall not be dissuaded by such endeavours at intimidation.
We have already encountered arrests, house searches, police brutality, and imprisonment as a network. The British press revealed in 2023 that Israeli embassy representatives had exerted pressure on the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to intervene in the prosecution of Palestine Action protesters on their behalf.
We have never in the past yielded to such undemocratic attempts to muzzle us, and we have no intention of doing so in the future, regardless of whether Gove’s new definition of “extremist” applies to our organization.
Constriction in the United Kingdom is in no way comparable to the atrocities perpetrated against Palestinian communities by Israel, which receives support from our government. In light of this, we see no alternative but to persist with our campaign with unwavering integrity and resolve.
The redoubled efforts by the state to surveil and coerce our movement into silence since the inception of the most recent conflict in Gaza have not deterred us or eroded the increasing public backing for our cause.
Palestine Action has, in fact, accumulated thousands of new members since October. Recruits have been acquired from various segments of society: A young mother of infants, a television producer, a number of physicians, delivery personnel, elementary school educators, and disability support staff… Those of all ages, social divisions, faiths, and life experiences who wished to contribute approached us. These newly appointed members assumed a variety of responsibilities, including arrestee and justice-system support.
A significant majority, if not all, of these newly recruited individuals, expressed their disillusionment with the guise of democracy in the United Kingdom ever since the commencement of this most recent assault on Gaza. They conveyed their lack of conviction regarding engaging in activities such as marches, submitting petitions, and writing to their legislators, as they passively observed the dismemberment of Palestinian bodies using weapon technologies that remain supplied by Britain on their electronic devices.
They justified their decision to become members of Palestine Action by contrasting their Western comfort with their conscience. As a result, they felt a greater sense of responsibility that they were prepared to commit themselves to a just practice that resulted in tangible transformation.
Most importantly, they stated that they no longer wish to feel powerless; they no longer find themselves despondent upon beholding a mass grave, infants trembling with terror, young boys reduced to skeletal form by famine, body parts dangling from walls, or a father suspiciously listening for his daughter’s screams beneath the debris.
Every accusation levelled against Palestine Action inadvertently brings attention to the most heinous atrocities against humanity that our activists are risking their lives to prevent.
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In the event of a house fire involving a child inside, and in such a scenario where a passing pedestrian is compelled to depress the door in order to prevent the child from becoming perishable, the door itself is rendered inconsequential. The new definition of “extremism” proposed by the British government, on the other hand, seems to prioritize the outcome of the door over that of the child and is even less concerned with determining who ignited the fire and provided the matches. It is impossible, however, to discuss the door and the passerby without also mentioning the child and the fire.
Amidst the escalating tensions in the United Kingdom, proponents of Palestine must maintain their moral integrity. Palestine Action, in conjunction with other principled organizations such as CAGE, Black Lives Matter, and Sisters Uncut, will persist in serving as an exemplar of devotion and concentration. Amidst the pressing necessity for action, there is a better time to be engulfed in rhetoric.
Numerous media entities are inquiring as to the potential consequences of our movement donning this novel “extremist” label. Our unequivocal reply is that it will not. Palestine Action would be superfluous if a just democracy were flourishing. Palestine Action is dedicated to the cause of Palestine and the resistance against a genocidal occupation; our efforts will continue until British complicity ceases and the largest arms manufacturer of Israel ceases operations from the United Kingdom.
