Home Secretary proscribes Palestine Action – Bond reaction
Today, Monday 23 June, in a statement to Parliament, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said a draft proscription order for the protest group, Palestine Action, would be laid in parliament on 30 June. If passed, it would make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action.
The proscription follows activists from the group breaking into RAF Brize Norton on 20 June.
In reaction to the announcement, Rowan Popplewell, Policy Manager on civic space at Bond, said:
We are very concerned by the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action. Listing a protest group, even one responsible for severe criminal damage, as a terrorist organisation would have very serious implications for protest and activism in the UK and could set a concerning precedent. It would mean that anyone who expresses support for, or donates money to, the group could be prosecuted on terrorism-related charges. We urge the Home Secretary to think again on this decision. When it comes to the actions of Palestine Action and any group causing criminal damage, we believe they should be charged and prosecuted using the existing legal framework.
ENDS.
Notes to editors
- In May, Bond published its annual review on the state of UK civic space which identified the key trends threatening civil society’s core functions, including the strict policing of pro-Palestine demonstrations.
- This review maps out the key trends of restrictions affecting civil society in the UK, covering the period from 2024 to 2025.
- In 2023, the UK was downgraded in the CIVICUS global ranking on the state of civil society and civic freedoms. Read Bond’s reaction here.
- Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development. Bond unites and supports a diverse network of over 350 civil society organisations from across the UK, and allies to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice.
- For further information or interviews please contact Jess Salter at [email protected] or call 07392972411.
