UK: A 'shameful chapter in our history' - Amnesty responds to today's ruling on the proscription of Palestine Action

Following today's ruling on the proscription of Palestine Action, Tom Southerden, Amnesty International UK's Legal Programme Director, said:

“We have long said that the banning of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was a grave misuse of sweeping counter-terrorism powers with serious consequences for human rights, and today’s outcome does not alter that assessment. It is fundamentally disproportionate to treat direct action protest as terrorism.

“The images of people from all walks of life – from nurses and pensioners to military veterans – being bundled into police vans for peacefully holding placards will be long remembered as a deeply shameful chapter in our history.

“Allowing this proscription to stand represents another step in the ongoing crackdown on the right to protest in this country.

“The Government must withdraw the proscription and begin reversing years of attacks on our right to demonstrate – one of the most effective tools we have to hold those in power to account.”