Caroline Lucas, George Monbiot and Alice Oseman are among the signatories
More than 600 prominent public figures have signed a public statement calling for the government not to proscribe the direct action group Palestine Action. If proscribed, Palestine Action would be listed as a terrorist group and being a member of it or expressing support for it would become a criminal offence.
The statement – coordinated by Fossil Free Books – has been signed by authors actors, comedians, politicians, campaigners and journalists. Among the most high profile signatories are the former Green MP Caroline Lucas, the journalist George Monbiot, Hearstopper author Alice Oseman, comedian Frankie Boyle, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, economics writer Grace Blakeley and the musician Brian Eno.
The statement reads: “We are writers, editors, publishers and organisations who care about freedom of expression. Between us we hold a range of views on various cultural and geopolitical issues.
“We are united by a fierce commitment to freedom of expression and assembly. It is this freedom that allows us to write and, for this reason, it is our responsibility to defend it.
“We call on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to immediately halt their unprecedented plans to proscribe the non-violent direct action group, Palestine Action.
“What is at stake here is the very principle of freedom of political expression as we know it in the UK. Whether we as individuals support Palestine Action is irrelevant: we oppose their proscription on principle.
“Civil disobedience is not ‘terrorism’, as history shows us, from the suffragettes to Martin Luther King Jr. It is the right of all citizens in a democracy. In 2004, Keir Starmer made this very argument when he represented an activist who sabotaged a military aircraft, making the case that his actions were lawful because they aimed to prevent an ‘illegal war’.
“Legal and human rights groups, such as Amnesty, Greenpeace and Liberty, have been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action threatens the right to protest in the UK.”
The government has said it intends to proscribe Palestine Action following members of the group breaking into RAF Brize Norton, damaging two military planes.
A number of left wing MPs have already raised significant concerns about the proposed proscribing of Palestine Action.
Palestine Action describes itself as “a direct action movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”
621 public figures had signed the statement at the time of publication.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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