Meeting Mr Plod in Parliament Square
Banned: Palestine Action
Palestine Action (PA) was (is?) a direct action movement dedicated to stop world-wide support for Israel’s
murderous war on Palestine. It did this through directly but non-violently attacking the forces supporting
Israel and its war machine. Its success in entering military bases and factories producing weapons for Israel
led the British government to declare it a terrorist organisation comparable to ISIS or various avowedly
violent Nazi groups. Thus, Starmer’s Labour was more hostile to civil liberties than the Tories under their
sundry PMs. The government pushed the ban through using a statutory instrument on the prevention of
terrorism. This meant that there was minimal debate. By my count, out of over 400 Labour MPs only 8
opposed the ban. These MPs will, no doubt, wonder why they are in the same party as the supporters of
genocide and paedophile’s buddy, Mandelson.
There is a long history to civil disobedience in Britain. The suffragettes were far more aggressive than PA.
The women of Greenham Common broke into a military base and attacked killing machines just like PA. I
was involved with tens of thousands of others in the Committee of 100’s attempt to block nuclear bases in
the 1960s. None were terrorists.
Is it the Israeli connection that has pushed the government into this action? At a count in 2022, 14 Labour
MPs and peers and a peer were officers of Labour Friends of Israel. Seven of these people are ministers in
the Starmer government. Another 49 MPs and 32 peers were also friends of Israel. Note that both
candidates for the deputy leadership of Labour support Israel. 1
Such has been the outrage at the ban that a programme of non-violent resistance has taken off, organised by
Defend Our Juries. My account of one action is below. The next will be on 4 th October. If you want to
protest against the ban and are willing to consider being described as a terrorist by the state sign up at:
https://defendourjuries.net/
Meeting Mr Plod in Parliament Square
Saturday 6 th September was a strange day for me. Up early and off to London to the Defend Our Juries
protest for Palestine Action.
Early Afternoon
My friend and I arrived at the start of the event, illegal posters in hand. We sat down in the square on what
was described as grass but really was just dirt. At first the mood was almost celebratory. We chatted,
supporters wandered round with fruit, chocolate, water and bust cards so we could get help if arrested.
Mostly the police just stood around. Every now and then they would form up in a phalanx of up to 20 in
pairs, hands on the shoulders of the PC in front, and a single arrest was made. I understand that the poor
coppers were upset that people shouted, “Shame on you!” and such like. They also said they were assaulted.
What I saw and felt was large coppers shoving us out of their way. This went on for hours. So, we were
allowed to be there, illegal posters were looked at by the police and ignored.
A good number of people were in the allied and semi-legal group Plasticine Action. They were safe, unlike
a blow-up doll clutching the banned sign.
I was sat near a group of medics, doctors, nurses and physios who had their job label sewed onto their kit.
The afternoon went on in a good-natured way with the drums beating and a pro-choice group nearby making
their point.
Terrorists arrested
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Friends_of_Israel (accessed 14/9/25)
Suddenly things changed. The police started systematically taking people off into their mini-buses. What
was OK at 2pm was criminal by 6pm. It wasn’t long before a retired elderly doctor by me was carted-off by
the brave boys and girls in blue.
I was soon joining her. I thought I had brought nothing to identify myself and they would have to take me
from their street processing unit to a proper police station. But my bank card was a giveaway. The bank
soon gave them all the info they needed. At this point the police seemed human, chatting about all sorts of
things.
It seemed to take forever. Details were noted on laptops and the young policeman who arrested me
scribbled on a pad for ages (why do all police look young?).
Next, I was free, well until I pop into Plumstead (South East London) police station in November.
I did wonder about the conversation with the officers’ nearest and dearest:
“What did you do today then?”
“Oh, I arrested some terrorists”
“My God, lucky you seem unscathed.”
“Well, there was a doctor in her 90s, a couple of teachers, a few people into various digital jobs.”
“They don’t sound like terrorist to me, but what were they doing, planting bombs, attacking Parliament?”
“Oh no, they were sat in Parliament Square holding placards”
Conclusions?
The whole thing was a mixture of comic and tragic. The main tragedy is that we have genocide going on
and a government determined to arm and support this mass murder. That has to bring us up sharp.
The comic was the way that the forces of the state were ridiculed and mocked.
We are not in the police state envisaged by Farage. We are, so far, not close. We demonstrated, argued and
celebrated freedom. But we are sliding towards a repressive system. If they can get away with this banning,
they will press on. Any effective direct action will be declared terrorism. This is how we slither towards
Trumpism. But this government can be turned back. Action like Saturday’s is essential. The right to
demonstrate was established through far more serious battles in the 19 th century, we can and must defend it
now.
