Cultural figures call on UK government not to ban Palestine Action
(MENAFN) Over 400 figures from the UK’s cultural scene have publicly urged the government to reverse its plan to outlaw the activist group Palestine Action and to cease military support to Israel. Their appeal was made through an open letter signed by well-known creatives, including musicians Paul Weller, Robert del Naja of Massive Attack, Brian Eno, and American artist Reggie Watts.
“Palestine Action is intervening to stop a genocide. It is acting to save life. We deplore the government’s decision to proscribe it," stated the letter issued by Artists for Palestine UK.
The letter criticized the use of terrorism-related language to describe peaceful protest actions, calling it “an abuse of language and an attack on democracy.” It continued, “The real threat to the life of the nation comes not from Palestine Action but from the home secretary’s efforts to ban it.”
In its closing remarks, the letter demanded that the government abandon its decision to criminalize Palestine Action and instead “stop arming Israel.”
The appeal came shortly after UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper declared her intention to formally label the group as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act. If enacted, this designation would make it a criminal offense to be associated with or express support for the group.
The move followed an incident on June 20, when members of Palestine Action entered RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and caused damage to two aircraft in protest of British arms supplies to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Reports suggest that hundreds of demonstrators assembled in London’s Trafalgar Square to show solidarity with Palestine Action, coinciding with the government’s announcement.
A representative of Artists for Palestine UK remarked, “Never before has a decision like this been challenged so immediately by artists and so widely across the country.” The group warned, “If the Government persists with this ban, it will face anger and opposition on a massive scale.”
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