‘FREE, Free Palestine’ chanted over 1,000 protesters waving Palestine flags outside the High Court yesterday.
The court was holding an emergency hearing seeking a judicial review of the Labour government’s proscription of the direct action group Palestine Action.
One of the protesters, Sage, a student, told News Line: ‘I have come down from Fife to support Palestinians and reject the proscription.
‘Palestine Action are not terrorists.
‘The real terrorists are the people in power selling arms to Israel to drop bombs on families in Palestine.
‘This government actively supports genocide.’
At this point the crowd shouted at the police as they moved in to remove demonstrators away from the front of the court.
Irish protester Donnachadh McCarthy said: ‘I’m a climate activist and I believe the government’s ban on people carrying out direct action against the genocide of Palestinians is an outrage.
‘It could mean that all further direct action, whether by other groups, will be regarded as terrorism.
‘It is also a threat to trade unions as well. The trade unions need to act against this.
‘They should expel any Labour MP, who is a member of their union, who voted for the ban on Palestine Action.’
Jack Murray, an artist outside the court said: ‘The trade unions should get involved. Unite should no longer be donating to the Labour Party.
‘The unions should cut ties with Labour. It’s not only participating in genocide it’s also turned its back and betrayed the working class by the cuts they are bringing forward.
‘It is squeezing workers and refusing to stand with the unions when they are striking and it has ordered MPs not to stand on picket lines.
‘The attack and ban on Palestine Action is a disgrace to democracy and humanity.
‘The unions should use the full force of the working class in a general strike. The workers at Elbit and all the arms factories should also strike.’
