Ask your MP to oppose the ban on Palestine Action

SACC is strongly opposed to the UK Government's proposal to ban Palestine Action. Please contact your MP urgently to ask them to oppose it in the House of Commons.

Palestine Action engages in non-violent direct action to stop Israel's genocide and other Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Palestine Action's activity often involves damage to property that would be criminal if the defence of justification were not accepted. The proper place to decide if such actions are justified is before a jury, on a case by case basis. The effect of a ban would be to bypass juries. It would also, in many circumstances, criminalise comments by members of the public that are supportive of Palestine Action. It is an attempt to bully us all into silence.

SACC's full statement on the proposed ban is here.

A draft order to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 is scheduled to be put before Parliament on Wednesday 2 July. It is a statutory instrument, not primary legislation, and is not debated and voted on in the way that is required when a bill ("primary legslation") is put before Parliament.

There is normally a certain amount of debate when a banning order is put before the Commons. MPs' comments are apt to be supportive of the Government position, perhaps with some MPs noting some issues with the ban, but with no one expressing outright opposition. The motion is then considered "agreed to" without a division. Media outlets will often report this as "Parliament voted to ban" such-and-such organisation. But MPs' "votes" are not recorded because there has been no division. Parliament's apparent unanimous vote for a ban in these circumstances is not so much an indication of MPs views on the matter as of their reluctance to break with the practice of nodding through banning orders without a division. 

The damage that a banning order would do to justice and democracy in the UK is too great for it to be nodded through in this way.

The Government has today published the draft banning order. It covers two other groups - the neo-Nazi groups "Maniac Murde Cult" and "Russian Imperialist Movement" as well as Palestine Action. This is a transparent attempt to manipulate Parliament into approving the order. It is an anti-democratic tactic that should increase MPs' determination to vote the order down.

You may already have contacted your MP to let them know you oppose the ban. This is great groundwork but it isn't enough.

Please contact your MP urgently to tell them you are opposed to the ban and to ask them to oppose it in Parliament. Ask them to state their opposition during the Commons debate and force a division or just to vote against the ban if a division is forced by another MP.

Please send any reply you get to us via our contact page.