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Palestine action may be prohibited Overwhelm Anti-Terrorism Prevention Program and lead People are being unfairly criminalizedA home office The officer has reportedly warned.
Members of the anti-terrorism police, and officials at schools and hospitals were already experiencing confusion following the direct action group’s ban. Guardian.
Government Being a member of or showing support for Palestine Action was made a criminal offense under the Terrorism Act after a group of protesters vandalized RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted two RAF Voyager aircraft on 5 July. The move to ban the group has sparked controversy and a legal challenge against the decision will be heard next week
A member of the Home Office’s Homeland Security group expressed concern to the newspaper that even people who were involved in Palestine advocacy but were not supporters of a banned group were being wrongly labeled as extremists and those who were being referred to as Prevent for supporting Palestine action did not always pose a threat.
metropolitan police It was confirmed that at least 90 people were detained on Saturday while protesting against government action banning the activist group Palestine Action. Many gathered at the Peace Garden in Tavistock Square, central London, holding placards reading: “I oppose genocide” and “Support Palestine action.”
An elderly man was among those detained by authorities, as onlookers clapped in support as they were taken away.
Homeland Security official who works closely with Prevent, and spoke anonymously GuardianSaid: “We have already seen police officers, let alone frontline prevention practitioners, mistakenly arrest or intervene with people for supporting Palestine, not supporting Palestine’s actions.
“There is a danger that by criminalizing support for Palestine action now, the prevention system could become an unintended kind of gateway for people to accidentally become criminalised, particularly young people who don’t know the law and they don’t know the consequences of expressing what may seem like – or actually may be – support for a group that has become banned overnight.”
The prevention program requires authorities in education, health and local areas to report concerns about people who are vulnerable to radicalisation. Data published earlier this month showed that referrals to the counter-terrorism program were the highest since records began.
The official said, “I am concerned about an increase in referrals to the Prevent system that may be related to Palestine advocacy, in light of the fact that this very high-profile group is now banned, and the confusion it may cause in schools and healthcare settings and all the other places where Prevent referrals are expected to be made.”
While the Home Office official said it was still early days to see the real impact of Palestine Action’s ban, he feared Prevent could be “overwhelmed” when there was already “unprecedented” pressure following the Southport attacks.
Charges were reported against 120 more people on Thursday for showing support for the Palestine action, bringing the total number of charges for this crime in London since July this year to 254. Counter Terrorism Policing London is continuing to investigate people arrested for showing support for a banned group.
The government’s decision to ban the Palestine crackdown was condemned by the UN human rights chief in July as a misuse “to expand the gravity and impact of terrorism beyond those clear limits, to include conduct already criminal under the law”.
Volker Turk warned: “UK domestic counter-terrorism legislation defines terrorist acts broadly, including ‘serious damage to property’. But, in line with international standards, terrorist acts should be limited to criminal acts with intent to cause death or serious injury or to intimidate a population or to take hostages for the purpose of coercing a government to take or not take a certain action.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We do not comment on anonymous briefings.
“Supporting Palestine is not the same as supporting a banned terrorist organization. There are many legitimate ways to express support for Palestinian rights and sovereignty without becoming a member of or associating with this harmful group.”