ON SATURDAY, the Guardian reported that the Tories are working towards a new definition of ‘extremism’ that includes anyone who ‘undermines British institutions or values’.
The report cited internal government documents which propose defining ‘extremism’ as follows:
‘Extremism is the promotion or advancement of any ideology which aims to overturn or undermine the UK’s system of parliamentary democracy, its institutions and values.’
This new definition was drawn up by officials working for Tory minister Michael Gove as part of a review of ‘non-violent extremism’.
The internal departmental documents cited by the Guardian are marked as ‘official – sensitive’ and propose the new definition as a way to ‘frame a new, unified response to extremism’.
According to the Guardian: ‘A national cohesion and counter-extremism plan with the new definition is expected to be launched shortly.’
This rush to push through, without any public announcement let alone discussion, has provoked even some Whitehall officials to voice their opposition to the ‘criminalisation of dissent’.
One anonymous official told the paper: ‘The concern is that this is a crackdown on freedom of speech. The definition is too broad and will capture legitimate organisations and individuals.’
A list of a number of organisations which Gove’s new proposals would ‘capture’ include the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Palestine Action and Mend (Muslim Engagement and Development).
What the list doesn’t bother to name outright of course, are all those organisations, individuals and trade unions that oppose the actions of the Tory government and refuse to accept the ‘values’ of a bankrupt capitalist system that desperately seeks to escape its world crisis through war against the people of the world and war against the working class at home.
Any individual or group demonstrating in support of Palestine and in opposition to the genocidal war being waged by the Zionist regime in Gaza would of course be a target for these laws.
Holding a Palestinian flag or using slogans such as ‘from the river to the sea’ will become an act of terror, rendering the individual or group liable to immediate arrest, fines and imprisonment.
Last week, Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman called the massive demonstrations in London and throughout the country in support of the Palestinian struggle for an independent state as ‘hate marches’.
Braverman, who boasts of going to bed each night dreaming of sending refugees and asylum seekers to Rwanda, now presumably dreams of jailing hundreds of thousands of workers and youth marching for Palestine.
Gove’s proposed new definition gives the police and courts the legal right to crack down on all dissent, and make Braverman’s dream of a police state where all opposition is crushed, along with the right to free speech, a reality.
Martin Brights, editor of Index on Censorship, a campaigning organisation for freedom of expression, said: ‘This is an unwarranted attack on freedom of expression and would potentially criminalise every student radical and revolutionary dissident. It has never been the British way to arrest people for thought crime.’
In fact, if the Tories are allowed to get away with it, this will become the new ‘British way’ as the ruling class strive to tear up the façade of Parliamentary democracy and replace it with the naked rule of the capitalist state organised to smash all opposition by workers and young people.
Already the Tories have brought in laws that make striking virtually illegal, force workers to cross picket lines, and drag unions before the courts to enforce the right of the bosses to rule over workers.
Now with these new proposals, the TUC and its affiliated unions, who have passed countless motions of support for Palestine and the demand for an independent state, will be labelled as ‘terrorist supporting’ organisations.
The working class are rapidly beginning to realise that they face the same enemy as the Palestinians – a world capitalist system that is desperate to escape from its crisis through wars abroad and war against the working class at home.
The only way forward is to force the TUC to mobilise the enormous strength of the working class by calling a general strike to bring down the Tories and bring in a workers’ government and socialism.ON SATURDAY, the Guardian reported that the Tories are working towards a new definition of ‘extremism’ that includes anyone who ‘undermines British institutions or values’.
The report cited internal government documents which propose defining ‘extremism’ as follows:
‘Extremism is the promotion or advancement of any ideology which aims to overturn or undermine the UK’s system of parliamentary democracy, its institutions and values.’
This new definition was drawn up by officials working for Tory minister Michael Gove as part of a review of ‘non-violent extremism’.
The internal departmental documents cited by the Guardian are marked as ‘official – sensitive’ and propose the new definition as a way to ‘frame a new, unified response to extremism’.
According to the Guardian: ‘A national cohesion and counter-extremism plan with the new definition is expected to be launched shortly.’
This rush to push through, without any public announcement let alone discussion, has provoked even some Whitehall officials to voice their opposition to the ‘criminalisation of dissent’.
One anonymous official told the paper: ‘The concern is that this is a crackdown on freedom of speech. The definition is too broad and will capture legitimate organisations and individuals.’
A list of a number of organisations which Gove’s new proposals would ‘capture’ include the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Palestine Action and Mend (Muslim Engagement and Development).
What the list doesn’t bother to name outright of course, are all those organisations, individuals and trade unions that oppose the actions of the Tory government and refuse to accept the ‘values’ of a bankrupt capitalist system that desperately seeks to escape its world crisis through war against the people of the world and war against the working class at home.
Any individual or group demonstrating in support of Palestine and in opposition to the genocidal war being waged by the Zionist regime in Gaza would of course be a target for these laws.
Holding a Palestinian flag or using slogans such as ‘from the river to the sea’ will become an act of terror, rendering the individual or group liable to immediate arrest, fines and imprisonment.
Last week, Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman called the massive demonstrations in London and throughout the country in support of the Palestinian struggle for an independent state as ‘hate marches’.
Braverman, who boasts of going to bed each night dreaming of sending refugees and asylum seekers to Rwanda, now presumably dreams of jailing hundreds of thousands of workers and youth marching for Palestine.
Gove’s proposed new definition gives the police and courts the legal right to crack down on all dissent, and make Braverman’s dream of a police state where all opposition is crushed, along with the right to free speech, a reality.
Martin Brights, editor of Index on Censorship, a campaigning organisation for freedom of expression, said: ‘This is an unwarranted attack on freedom of expression and would potentially criminalise every student radical and revolutionary dissident. It has never been the British way to arrest people for thought crime.’
In fact, if the Tories are allowed to get away with it, this will become the new ‘British way’ as the ruling class strive to tear up the façade of Parliamentary democracy and replace it with the naked rule of the capitalist state organised to smash all opposition by workers and young people.
Already the Tories have brought in laws that make striking virtually illegal, force workers to cross picket lines, and drag unions before the courts to enforce the right of the bosses to rule over workers.
Now with these new proposals, the TUC and its affiliated unions, who have passed countless motions of support for Palestine and the demand for an independent state, will be labelled as ‘terrorist supporting’ organisations.
The working class are rapidly beginning to realise that they face the same enemy as the Palestinians – a world capitalist system that is desperate to escape from its crisis through wars abroad and war against the working class at home.
The only way forward is to force the TUC to mobilise the enormous strength of the working class by calling a general strike to bring down the Tories and bring in a workers’ government and socialism.