Statement: Palestine Action
Following news reports that the UK plans to proscribe Palestine Action, the Scottish Greens warned of the deeply authoritarian implications of using terrorism legislation to go after non-violent protesters.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“Labour’s use of terrorism legislation against non-violent protesters is deeply authoritarian, and it's astonishing that a former human rights lawyer is doing this.
“Palestine Action have been accused by Keir Starmer of ‘vandalism’ - which the RAF said would have no impact on their operations. It’s obviously absurd that throwing red paint on things could cause a group to be listed alongside Al Qaeda, ISIS and Russia’s Wagner Group, with membership carrying a 14-year prison sentence.
“Human rights groups like Amnesty International have rightly raised significant concerns over this aggressive use of powers that should be reserved for only the most extreme and dangerous organisations.
“And while Labour pull out all the stops to prosecute these protesters, they continue to train, arm and support Israel as it regularly and openly commits war crimes as part of an ongoing genocide. It’s impossible to overstate how backwards Labour’s priorities are here.”