London - CAGE is documenting a campaign of state-sponsored intimidation by the UK government against expressions of Palestinian solidarity that is reaching every sector of British society.
The alarm has been raised by CAGE after the Police have been reported to be considering a ban of the pro-Palestine ‘million man march’ on November 11. This would be a significantly authoritarian move, representing the latest major attack on expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
As a result of the intense activities of the pro-Israeli lobby, through a complex web of donors funding the major political parties and individual MPs, the government and the opposition have responded with support for Israel and its policies of apartheid and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Unsurprisingly, so has its repression of Palestinian solidarity at home. We are witnessing a sustained assault on the right to free speech, assembly and association.
CAGE is currently supporting many individuals who have been targeted due to expressions of support with Palestine. These are spread across sectors, including education, commerce, local government, charities, healthcare and others.
We are witnessing a full spectrum political attack to ban popular pro-Palestine marches, to weaponise hate crime laws against Palestine activists, to calls for a muscular liberalism to confront this rising tide of outrage against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, ministers exerting extreme political pressure on the police and academic institutions to censor dissenting voices and even to revoke visas for those who speak out.
The weaponisation of the state, along with all its powers and tools to marginalise the views of a large segment of British society, is an authoritarian sweep that leverages years of War on Terror laws and policies to enact an unprecedented clampdown on perfectly legal views. As more increasingly desperate measures are taken, the global resistance against Israeli apartheid and genocide is robust and growing. The number of protestors increases each time as have the voices against the bias and hypocrisy of politicians and the mainstream media.
Anas Mustapha, head of Public Advocacy at CAGE, said:
“In desperation, the state is mobilising all its efforts so that any dissent and support for Palestine is met with brutal force on the streets, in the workplace, in immigration decisions and even in schools and universities. Western governments are using total force to ensure that all public and private institutions fall into line.
This is a continuation of the war on terror which brought us torture, rendition, and Guantanamo. The degradation of society continues so that the ecosystem of human rights, independent journalism and political representation is detonated. However, they are losing the narrative and their double standards have been exposed for all to see like never before. The global resistance against Israeli aparthied will succeed and at this seismic moment in history, we remind the supporters of genocide that the people will never forget.”
cc image courtesy of Alisdare Hickson on Flikr
<span style="font-weight: 400;">London - CAGE is documenting a campaign of state-sponsored intimidation by the UK government against expressions of Palestinian solidarity that is reaching every sector of British society.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The alarm has been raised by CAGE after the Police have been reported to be <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/suella-braverman-police-mark-rowley-met-police-london-b2442144.html">considering a ban</a> of the pro-Palestine ‘million man march’ on November 11. This would be a significantly authoritarian move, representing the latest major attack on expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. </span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result of the intense activities of the pro-Israeli lobby, through a complex web of donors funding the major political parties and individual MPs, the government and the opposition have responded with support for Israel and its policies of apartheid and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Unsurprisingly, so has its repression of Palestinian solidarity at home. We are witnessing a sustained assault on the right to free speech, assembly and association.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">CAGE is currently supporting many individuals who have been targeted due to expressions of support with Palestine. These are spread across sectors, including education, commerce, local government, charities, healthcare and others.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">We are witnessing a full spectrum political attack to ban popular pro-Palestine marches, to weaponise hate crime laws against Palestine activists, to calls for a muscular liberalism to confront this rising tide of outrage against the <a href="https://www.cage.ngo/21st-century-genocide">ongoing genocide</a> of Palestinians, ministers exerting extreme political pressure on the police and academic institutions to censor dissenting voices and even to revoke visas for those who speak out.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The weaponisation of the state, along with all its powers and tools to marginalise the views of a large segment of British society, is an authoritarian sweep that leverages years of War on Terror laws and policies to enact an unprecedented clampdown on perfectly legal views. As more increasingly desperate measures are taken, the global resistance against Israeli apartheid and genocide is robust and growing. The number of protestors increases each time as have the voices against the bias and hypocrisy of politicians and the mainstream media.</span>
<h3>Anas Mustapha, head of Public Advocacy at CAGE, said:</h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">“In desperation, the state is mobilising all its efforts so that any dissent and support for Palestine is met with brutal force on the streets, in the workplace, in immigration decisions and even in schools and universities. Western governments are using total force to ensure that all public and private institutions fall into line.</span>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a continuation of the war on terror which brought us torture, rendition, and Guantanamo. The degradation of society continues so that the ecosystem of human rights, independent journalism and political representation is detonated. However, they are losing the narrative and their double standards have been exposed for all to see like never before. The global resistance against Israeli aparthied will succeed and at this seismic moment in history, we remind the supporters of genocide that the people will never forget.”</span>
<em>cc image courtesy of <a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1699360930579_2092" class="owner-name truncate" title="Go to Alisdare Hickson’s photostream" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/alisdare/52776106973/in/photolist-2opDkUR-2opCa1V-2nmcVK8-2nmcVg7-2nmcTyu-2nmjpHN-2ngVTTm-2ngUvna-2ngMDEK-2ngCZPi-2ngzC6h-2nfmCri-2nfqh81-2nfimEK-2m1g9YK-26gGCmZ-27Dabpg-218eeu5-s9iZcn-hDzDEC-2opHrVq-2opH5yK-2opCeD5-2opCeqE-2opHppo-2opH3G3-2opCcRT-2opHojn-2opHmiJ-2opHm9W-2opGbXT-2opGYxg-2opEMPs-2opGTDo-2opC3Q6-2opC3nT-2opGSs5-2opC2y3-2opGNFT-2opGNvx-2opGNdD-2opH95v-2opFZcJ-2opGLBn-2nmi8DE-2nmcQsV-2nmicYX-2nmi6k6-2ngTnKn-2opH3uE" rel="author" data-track="attributionNameClick">Alisdare Hickson</a> on Flikr</em>
