Defend Our Juries is hosting a series of actions in November to campaign against the ban on Palestine Action, the latest of which takes place today.
At 1pm this afternoon, activists will gather outside of London’s Ministry of Justice for the latest demonstration calling for an end to the ban on Palestine Action.
Participants will hold up signs which say: “I oppose Genocide / I Support Palestine Action,” until they are arrested “or until it is clear the police have stopped arresting people”, Defend Our Juries explained in a briefing document.
The protest is part of a campaign for Palestine Action to be de-proscribed as a terrorist organisation, with events scheduled in 18 towns and cities in the UK from November 18th to 29th.
Today’s event precedes several other demonstrations scheduled for the weekend, with another one planned for Tavistock Square on Saturday.
Palestine Action was proscribed in July, making membership or support of the group a criminal offence that can be punished by up to 14 years in prison.
“Our groups and movements are coming together like never before, finding unity under repression. By refusing to give into fear and by standing together, we will face down this assault on us all,” the UK-based activist group said.
It will be “the most widespread mass civil disobedience across the UK in modern British history”.
Protests took place in Gloucester, Truro, Nottingham, Northampton, Oxford, Leeds, Newcastle, Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Edinburgh yesterday, resulting in numerous arrests.
Here’s everything you need to know about the campaign.
Who are Defend Our Juries?
Defend Our Juries is an activist group that was founded by Tim Crosland, a former government lawyer, to highlight the “constitutional crisis taking place in our courts.”
The group believes that the independent rights of juries in the UK are under threat, particularly in cases heard by judges regarding environmental activists and those arrested for taking direct action to stop racial injustice or end the conflict in Gaza.
As juries initially found many of these activists “not guilty”, Defend Our Juries claims that lobbyists and justices are trying to wield power over juries and courts that “violate the most basic principles of natural justice and the right to a fair trial”.
What is the Lift The Ban on Palestine Action campaign?
Defend Our Juries is campaigning to bring a legal challenge to overturn the Palestine Action ban, as well as the arrests and legal implications that have resulted since it came into effect.
Palestine Action is a pro-Palestinian protest network that seeks to disrupt Israeli weapons factories in Britain. Since July 5, membership or support of the group has been classified as a criminal offence, resulting in over 2,100 arrests.
Defend Our Juries said: “Following intensive lobbying by representatives of the Israeli government and the arms industry such as Lord Walney, dishonestly presented to the public as ‘independent advisers’, domestic direct action group Palestine Action have been branded as a ‘terrorist organisation’, for trying to stop crimes against humanity and for exposing the British government’s complicity in genocide.”
The group continued: “It is vital that our campaign succeeds – not just for Palestine Action but for democracy. Once the meaning of ‘terrorism’ is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population, and extended to include those causing economic damage or embarrassment to the rich, the powerful and the criminal, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning and democracy is dead.
If we let this go, the unions, and climate and racial justice movements will be next.”
What are the goals of the campaign?
Defend Our Juries has two campaign demands:
The first is: “Lift the Ban on Palestine Action. Stop persecuting those taking direct action to protect the Palestinian people from genocide.”
The second is: “Name the Israeli assault on the Palestinian people as a genocide. Comply with the resulting legal obligations, including by ending all military trade and other military cooperation with Israel.”
Where else are protests taking place?
Thursday 20th – London (Ministry of Justice).
Saturday 22nd – London (Tavistock Square), Belfast, Derry (Guildhall – 3pm).
Monday 24th – London (UK Home Office).
Wednesday 26th – London (Royal Courts).
Saturday 29th – Bristol, Birmingham, Exeter, Cambridge, Sheffield, Lancaster, Manchester, Edinburgh, Caerdydd/Cardiff.
All protests are taking place at 1pm unless otherwise stated.
