From: hex@unseen.ac.am 
  
 On 11/08/2025 12:01, GB wrote: 
 > On 10/08/2025 09:24, Norman Wells wrote: 
  
 >> I see that 474 arrests were made yesterday at a rally in London under 
 >> the Terrorism Act 2000, mostly for just peacefully displaying 
 >> handwritten placards saying 'I support Palestine Action'.€€ It's also 
 >> been reported that 800 inmates in the busiest London jails were moved 
 >> out beforehand in order to make room for these alleged terrorists. 
 > 
 > Those people who were arrested foolishly failed to distinguish between: 
 > a) Huge concern over Gaza (which we probably all share) 
 > b) Support for Palestinian Action, itself. 
  
 You seem to think they were foolish.  But they knew full well what they 
 were doing and were actually hoping to be arrested to show up how 
 repressive a law is that makes terrorists of peaceful pensioners doing 
 nothing more than holding a placard. 
  
 It was a stand for freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest. 
  
 And it has now placed the government in a quandary.  Will it (through a 
 decision of the Attorney General, Lord Hermer), go ahead and prosecute 
 everyone and be derided, or does it admit it has a Draconian law on the 
 statute book that cannot or will not be enforced? 
 > All the placards I saw in the news conflated the two issues. 
 > 
 > AFAIK, not a single one of the protesters was arrested over his support 
 > for Palestinians. They were all arrested for supporting a proscribed 
 > organisation. 
  
 All deliberate, all planned as large scale mass disobedience in order to 
 protect hard fought for civil rights. 
 > Palestinian Action were proscribed because they thought it was okay to 
 > cause tens of millions of €€€€€€ worth of damage to aircraft. Whether that 
 > makes them terrorists or just bloody nuisances is a moot point, but we 
 > elect a government to make such decisions, and we should abide by their 
 > decisions. 
 > 
 > It's a slippery slope. If Palestinian Action are allowed to get away 
 > with damaging aircraft, 
  
 But they aren't.  The individuals responsible have been identified and 
 are being prosecuted for conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for a 
 purpose prejudicial to the interests or safety of the UK and conspiracy 
 to commit criminal damage. 
  
 > then others will think it's okay to set asylum 
 > seeker hotels on fire, and eventually people will think it's okay to 
 > murder their neighbours because they don't like their topiary. 
  
 You think then that Thoughtcrime should be prosecuted?  How very 
 repressive.  How very 1984. 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)