From: roger@hayter.org 
  
 On 11 Aug 2025 at 14:57:53 BST, "Norman Wells"  wrote: 
  
 > 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. 
  
 For a fanatical supporter of the Israeli campaign to expel, slaughter or 
 starve the remaining Palestinians in the occupied territories a little loss 
 of 
 civil liberties in this country may well be price very well worth paying. 
  
  
 -- 
  
 Roger Hayter 
  
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