UK Court of Appeal Rules Palestine Action Ban to Be Lawful
The Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling and found the UK government’s ban on the direct action group Palestine Action to be lawful.
In February, the High Court found that then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's decision to proscribe the group was "unlawful" and "discriminatory", following a challenge brought by the group's co-founder Huda Ammori, Middle East Eye reported.It ruled that the ban constituted a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights as it entailed "a very significant" interference with rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It further held that the ban was not consistent with the Home Secretary's own policy.The government immediately stated its intention to appeal the ruling, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood saying she was “disappointed” with the outcome, adding that the ban "followed a rigorous and evidence-based decision-making process".The proscription, which made membership or support for the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison, has since remained in force pending the outcome of the appeal on Monday.Despite noting the ban's potential "chilling effect" on people expressing opposition to the actions of Israel in Gaza, the five-strong panel of judges overturned the High Court's decision, ruling that government's move to ban the group "struck a fair balance" between the individuals' rights to speech and freedom of assembly and the interests of national security.They said that the proscription decision was a "justified and proportionate interference with individual rights".
Palestine Action co-founder Ammori said in a statement following the ruling, that she will "fight proscription all the way" to the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights in order to overturn “one of the most extreme attacks on free speech and the right to protest in modern British history”.She added that the court's judgement recognised the ban as "highly controversial", and that there is "widespread support" for the group, but jusified it on the grounds that "damage to the property of arms companies like Elbit Systems, whose weapons are being used to slaughter Palestinian people”.“Throughout these proceedings, the Government accepted that this proscription was based on property damage, not violence against people," she said.Outside the court, hundreds gathered in defiance of the ruling, holding signs that read "I opposed genocide, I support Palestine Action".Since it was introduced, thousands of people have been arrested for terrorism offences for holding signs in support for the group in silent vigils across the UK.According to the campaign group Defend Our Juries, around 700 people have been arrested for displaying support for the group since the ban was deemed to be unlawful. Some 3400 people had also been arrested by the time of the High Court ruling.
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