Scottish Police Arrest Screenwriter Paul Laverty over T-Shirt Opposing Gaza Genocide

Scottish police have arrested the award-winning screenwriter Paul Laverty for wearing a T-shirt reading “Genocide in Palestine, time to take action.” The arrest of the 68-year-old took place during a protest in Edinburgh on Monday against the U.K. government’s support of Israel’s war on Gaza. In the U.K., public support of the protest group Palestine Action is a criminal offense under the Terrorism Act. Paul Laverty is a long-term collaborator of the filmmaker Ken Loach. Laverty spoke after he was processed and released with an order to appear in court on September 18 to face terrorism charges. Paul Laverty: “Although we have the law on our side, we cannot implement it. So I think we have to change the narrative. I think we’ll have to remember is that the most important court in the world is the court of public opinion. Ordinary people are appalled to see starvation and genocide and the selling of arms to the apartheid state in Israel, and are just appalled by it.”

Democracy Now!
U.K. Police Arrest Another 71 People for Supporting Activist Group Palestine Action

In Britain, police arrested at least 71 people in London, Cardiff and Manchester for publicly supporting Palestine Action, an anti-genocide direct action group that was recently banned under Britain’s Terrorism Act. It is now illegal to belong to the group or even express any support for the organization. Police in London said illegal acts include “chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos” related to Palestine Action. Individuals arrested could face up to 14 years in prison.

Democracy Now!

The Sparrows' Nest digital archive is an amazing resource full of fascinating documents, including this gem from 2000 warning about the dangers of the Terrrorism Bill which became law later that year. Ancient history in no way relevant today...
https://www.thesparrowsnest.org.uk/collections/public_archive/585.pdf

#PalestineAction #FuckStarmer #FuckYvetteCooper #FreePalestine