In just the last few weeks, authorities have jailed activists participating in pro-Palestine protests. In doing so, these actions have raised serious implications on civil liberties in the UK. Among their ranks is Trisha Fine, a longtime 75-year-old activist who was arrested for holding a placard at an order-defying protest. Fine’s arrest is part of a broader crackdown following the government’s decision to outlaw the group Palestine Action.
Peaceful witness Jon Farley was arrested on 13th June for his action of silent demonstration in Leeds. He raised a placard about the government’s proscription of Palestine Action, quoting one of the decided militants found patrolling the streets in Private Eye. Farley defended his actions, stating, “I clearly wasn’t any kind of physical threat.” His arrest raises serious questions about what is being tolerated as legitimate dissent and what is acceptable in terms of law enforcement’s management of that dissent.
On the same day that government officials formally banned Palestine Action, they arrested another Palestine Action activist. Sue Parfitt, aged 79 and from Henbury near Bristol, was arrested. This case is different. After police confiscated 19 items from her house, police physically escorted Parfitt away from her home. Seized items included iPads, a Palestinian flag, and books on Palestine. They confiscated materials that were related to Extinction Rebellion and climate activism. They confiscated her samba drumsticks and the belt that holds them.
The ramifications of these arrests go much further than just the people they arrest. Devon and Cornwall officers arrested eight suspects, including one by an armed officer, at a potential peaceful demonstration. They included Hinton, a retired magistrate, and Baines, a former director of a charitable hospice. These unfortunate incidents have fueled debates about civil liberties in the UK. From Portland to Minneapolis, people are asking whether the current legal framework even genuinely protects the right to protest.
Sue Parfitt expressed her fright, “I do fear for civil liberties in this country. Her words ring true for all of us who are concerned that the heavy hand of public safety would suppress lawful and needed dissent.
Marianne Sorrell, an 80-year-old activist arrested for holding a placard at a pro-Palestine rally in Cardiff, shared her traumatic experience. At 80, what happened to me — being treated like a dangerous terrorist — is shocking beyond belief. I’ve been very traumatised by this. I wake up every morning feeling sick, nauseous,” she noted. Sorrell’s experience highlights the potential emotional toll these arrests have on people who are truly trying to express their dissenting opinion.
Human rights advocates in the country have condemned the recent wave of arrests. They claim that nonviolent protests are the lifeblood of a healthy democracy. With these activists still waiting on their own court dates, the fight over TC Energy’s proposed pipeline is far from over. Few likely would have guessed just how much local authorities would be willing to go in stifling dissenting points of view.