AhlulBayt News Agency: Instead of addressing what Amnesty International calls the “livestreamed genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza, the UK government is reportedly using anti-terror laws to stifle pro-Palestinian protesters.
Speaking at Amnesty UK’s National Conference on Sunday, Secretary General Agnes Callamard criticized British authorities for focusing on protest suppression rather than the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
Callamard’s remarks followed the UK’s official classification of Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian activist group, as a “terrorist organization” beginning midnight Saturday.
Palestine Action has centered its campaign on targeting Elbit Systems UK, which it accuses of supplying arms to the Israeli military amid the war on Gaza. The group argues that direct action is essential to end British complicity.
According to the new UK legislation, supporting or being affiliated with Palestine Action can now result in criminal prosecution and up to 14 years of imprisonment.
Palestine Action responded by stating that the UK government is criminalizing dissent while ignoring real atrocities occurring in Gaza.
On Saturday, demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square despite police warnings that backing the group could be a criminal act.
The Metropolitan Police reported that it arrested 29 people on terrorism-related charges during the protest.
Among those detained was 83-year-old retired priest Sue Parfitt, who was holding a sign reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
Parfitt’s arrest has sparked outrage across social media, with some describing it as an erosion of democratic freedoms and a slide into authoritarianism.
Her friend, Jerry Hicks, called for her immediate release, asserting that standing against genocide should not be criminalized.
Since October 2023, the UK has witnessed massive pro-Palestinian rallies, demanding a halt to British weapons exports to Israel.
Human rights groups and legal experts continue to raise alarms about the UK’s arms licensing and political support for Israel, saying it could constitute complicity in the military campaign against Gaza.
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