A Labor colleague Warned that the government’s ban Palestine Action A “I am Spartacus” is the risk of becoming a moment, suggests Decision to prosecute the group as a terrorist organization Was incompatible.
Shami Chakrabarti, A former shadow Attorney General and Civil Liberty Preacher, urged the government to “think”, warned that the group’s ban could give rise to more people, not less, to support the streets to support it.
He said that his concerns are “still more than before” More than 500 people arrested In the weekend, perform in support of the group.
A “I am Spartacus” moment – from the 1960 film, Spartacus – refers to a situation where a group of people collectively claim to be a person, often in solidarity or disregard, to protect the person or to confuse an authority figure.
The Metropolitan police on Sunday confirmed that 532 arrests were made, 522 to display an item in support of an prosecution organization in March in Central London.
Asked if the government has found wrong on the issue, Baronic Chakraborty told BBC Radio 4 Today Program: “I am afraid that my concerns are more than before.
He said: “Now there are blurred lines … some people, as usual, are protesting about those horrific events in Gaza, but others feel that they are standing for civilian freedom because it was a restriction ratio.”
Labor Peer warned that “even criminal damage is not terrorism”.
“Spraying of paint on the airplane, which is a serious criminal damage, is not the same as IRA or Al Qaeda or a group that really wants to blow up people.
“And so we have taken more people on the streets, a big headache for the police. Clearly, I have a lot of sympathy for the police on this issue. I think it may be time to think again.”
It comes a few days after telling Independent “Palestine’s action is in danger of becoming a mistake of the ratio of voting, the reference to Margaret Thatcher’s unpopular policy that triggers civil disobedience and riots.
The group made headlines earlier this year, when four members were accused of loss of about 7 meters to damage the aircraft in the RAF Brise Norton.
The collective detention of protesters on Saturday is the highest number of arrests made by the Metropolitan Police in the same protest since the pole tax riot of 31 March 1990.
Earlier this week, MPs warned of excessive use of anti -terrorism powers by political division It was riding some kind of riding on the right to peaceful protest, after emergence that many of them were over 60 aged.
Meanwhile, the Civil Liberty Group, including Amnesty and Libert, said that the arrests were “inconsistent at the point of non -equality” and the government’s terrorism law was a threat to freedom of expression.
Former Labor Cabinet Minister Peter Han described large -scale arrests as “insanity”, saying that Palestine Action There was no equal to real terrorist groups like al-Qaeda or Islamic State “.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the anti-apartheid movement in the UK and the anti-Nazi League are Lord, warning that the restrictions would “finish tears for the government”.
He said, “We are being arrested by retired magistrates, retired and serving doctors and all kinds of people and now effectively being equal with terrorists such as al-Qaeda, which is absolutely wrong”, he said.
“It’s going to deteriorate [for the government] Because I do not see the people of that ‘Central Britain’ background, who have joined these protests, such a large number of suddenly to decide that everything is fine. ,
But Home Secretary Yatete Cooper defended the police and suggested that those arrested do not know the complete nature of this organization “.
After the arrest, Downing Street defended the move to ban the group, stating that it was “violent”, with “significant injuries” as well as criminal damage, and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center found that the organization carried out three different acts of terrorism.
“We have said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organization, but the assessment is very clear: it is a violent organization that has caused violence, significant injury and widespread criminal damage,” Sir Kir Stmper spokesman said on Monday.