this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2025

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Government to ban Palestine Action, home secretary confirms (www.bbc.co.uk)

submitted 2 months ago by VirgilMastercard@reddthat.com to c/unitedkingdom@feddit.uk

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[–] Zombie@feddit.uk 35 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Abuse of terrorism laws to repress opinions the government disagrees with. Who could have seen this coming when those laws were introduced!

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 4 points 2 months ago

Who could have seen this coming when those laws were introduced!

Ironically the Labour party when they were in opposition 😐

[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Tbf, leaving aside the morality of their cause, they broke into and vandalised an RAF base. That's more disruptive behaviour than most groups who get banned engage in.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

For some reason Western governments can’t resist creating tyrannical laws for someone l worse to abuse later, with the excuse that no-one reasonable would use it for that.

[–] lath@lemmy.world 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"Oh no! Some random civilians exposed our utter incompetence to the world. Best call them terrorists before anyone gets any ideas for actual sabotage!"

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I mean, it was actual sabotage. Those engines will need complete rebuilding.

[–] cook_pass_babtridge@feddit.uk 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It was sabotage, but to call it terrorism implies they were endangering human life. If they wanted to do that, they could have sabotaged the engines in a way that wasn't obvious, and would cause failures when the plane took off. This was clearly meant to be visible to everyone, they even filmed it. It'll cost money to fix, but it never endangered human life.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So you don’t count IRA bombings as terrorism because they often phoned in warnings to evacuate the area?

[–] cook_pass_babtridge@feddit.uk 1 points 2 months ago

Those are bombings in a public area, and some people did die.

[+] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world -7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

I'm pretty surprised so many people are ok with UK defensive capabilities being sabotaged, especially when there are multiple countries right now threatening us.

Being against Israel's war crimes is one thing (and obviously IMO the correct response), but breaking into an RAF base and destroying the engines of multiple planes obviously isn't something that should be tolerated or encouraged.

The one silver lining here is that at least it was "only" some idiotic protesters that exposed this lax security precautions, rather than a hostile nation state.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)

but breaking into an RAF base and destroying the engines of multiple planes obviously isn't something that should be tolerated or encouraged.

Given that the British government refuses to stop assisting war crimes, destroying the tools of the war crimes seems like the logical next step. These aren't just Israel's war crimes; they're also Britain's war crimes.

Edit: To clarify, the UK flies these planes over Gaza and gives the intel to Israel, which they use for targeting. The RAF is actively helping Israel murder Gazans.

Edit2: The way this is phrased implies the planes that were sabotaged were intelligence gathering planes used in Gaza. That's not what I intended and is false; these were refueling planes, and the planes used for intelligence gathering for Israel are being flown from Cyprus, not the home isles. I still believe the property of war criminals is fair game.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 0 points 2 months ago (2 children)

That is misinformation. The planes were Voyagers which are air-to-air refuelling tankers not intelligence-gathering planes. And before someone makes up more bullshit, no the RAF has not been refuelling Israeli planes. The Israelis use the US system, which is incompatible with the RAF system.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 3 points 2 months ago

I didn't mean these planes as in literally the planes that were targeted (the planes used for this particular war crime are in Cyprus) but rather as in their planes in general. Really bad phrasing on my part so apologies for that. Expecting people to look for the exact model being used to commit war crimes is unreasonable, though. If they didn't want their shit destroyed, they shouldn't have committed war crimes.

[–] ghost_of_faso3@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 months ago

so what, we've been doing spy plane targeting for them and meeting IDF generals to discuss how we're going to best stamp down on Palestine activism, any damage helps.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why the fuck are you lying mate. They aren't intelligence gathering planes, what conspiracy theorist crap are you spouting?

They are refueling planes, which btw can't be used with Israeli jets as they use completely different refuelling systems.

How lying conspiracy theorist bullshit like this gets upvoted is beyond my comprehension.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

See my reply to the other guy.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

At least you've owned up to being a liar.

But wanting to put the UK at risk is a big yikes. Guess you'd be ecstatic if people died.

The amount of tankies here is vile.

[–] ghost_of_faso3@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 months ago

People are already dying, we're helping the people killing them.

Go wring your hands against imaginary enemies elsewhere.

[–] lath@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

There's a difference between being ok with acts of sabotage and expressing schadenfreude when witnessing such a high level of obliviousness.

I mean, it's painfully obvious to most people that acts of sabotage ought to be expected in our current times and have been happening for some years now even. Yet to be so unprepared for this kind of thing that any random person can just waltz into your military base and have a field day with your aircrafts, it deserves to be shamed. It's humiliating and rightfully so.

Everyone expected better and if this is the status in every EU country currently at risk, then making fun of this kind of pure stupidity is very much warranted. Otherwise, we're truly and absolutely fucked in case of an actual conflict.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world -5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You experience satisfaction seeing our defence sector being sabotaged? Particularly when we're in a proxy war with Russia and the world in general is becoming more hostile?

[–] lath@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I enjoy watching them put on a play of The Emperor's New Clothes. If that's what they wish to show off, why not applaud?

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world -5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yikes. Actually wanting to put everyone in the UK at greater risk.

[–] lath@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Whoosh.

Security theater without actual security is the thing putting everyone at risk.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Taking targeted action at those who perpetrated the sabotage would be my preference, rather than blanket bans on a protestors. This is the wrong way to solve the problem.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Agreed. But this isn't a blanket ban on protestors.

This specific organisation operates in cells, has caused and advocates for violence.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ok... ...a blanket ban on a set of protestors.

What's the legal criteria to say somebody is a member of an organisation like this? Do they have to have a membership card to be banned from protests? It's poorly defined and easily becomes anybody who turns up at a pro-palestinian protest. At that point you have banned protests on the subject.

Hold individuals accountable for their actions. Don't police people's views or their desire to express them.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Proscription means it is an offence to belong to the organisation, invite or recklessly express support for them, arrange a meeting in their support, or wear clothing or carry articles which arouse reasonable suspicion that you are a member or supporter of the organisation.

So under the law, waving a Palestinian flag is fine. Waving a Palestine Action banner is illegal.

This amounts to a targeted action at the organisers and perpetrators of the incident, rather than wider supporters of Palestine.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

https://feddit.uk/post/33077824

So under the law, waving a Palestinian flag is fine. Waving a Palestine Action banner is illegal.

Less than a month later and we have examples of the police disagreeing with you.

[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 1 points 1 month ago

Plod rarely know the law.

[–] AlexLost@lemm.ee 11 points 2 months ago

You are allowed to protest, but only the things we allow you to protest. Go fly a fucking kite! Double down Palestine Action!!!

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Palestine Action banned.

Action for Palestine and People's Palestine Action are accepting new members.

Don't join Popular Palestine Action though. Splitter.

[–] Denjin@lemmings.world 1 points 2 months ago

He's over there