E.81: Part 2 - Filton 23 & The Dangerous Precedent of Banning Palestine Action

The line between protest and terrorism has become dangerously blurred in the United Kingdom. The government's unprecedented decision to prescribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization marks a watershed moment for civil liberties and the right to dissent.

Palestine Action emerged in 2020 with a clear mission: to physically disrupt the operations of Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms manufacturer with multiple facilities across the UK. Their tactics – factory occupations, property damage, and symbolic red paint representing Palestinian blood – have always been controversial, but deliberately non-violent toward people. 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's decision to prescribe the group alongside violent neo-Nazi organizations creates a troubling false equivalence. This designation means anyone who expresses support for Palestine Action, attends their events, or displays their symbols now faces up to 14 years in prison – a punishment previously reserved for those supporting groups that commit violence against people. As Labour MP John McDonnell powerfully puts it: "We haven't seen an assault on civil liberties like this maybe for a generation."

United Nations experts have condemned this move, warning that treating civil disobedience as terrorism violates international human rights standards. Meanwhile, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to worsen, with over 60,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023 amid widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, and essential infrastructure. This raises profound questions: When democratic channels fail to prevent what many experts have called genocide, where do we draw the boundaries of legitimate resistance?

Warning: this episode contains mention of torture, rape, murder, famine and genocide. 

Credits

Soundtrack: Particles (Revo Main Version) by [Coma-Media] 

Producer: Charlotte Janes

Download Issue 14 of The View Magazine to read the full article here: https://theviewmag.org.uk/product/the-view-issue-14/

Subscribe to The View for just £20/year: 4 digital issues + 1 print edition.

Follow us on Instagram @the_view_magazines, and find us on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

For enquires, contact: [email protected]

**this episode was recorded prior to the Filton 18 becoming the Filton 24**

Support the show

For more unmissable content from The View sign up here