to think that just because you say something about Israel and Gaza does not mean that you should be threatened with arrest under the terrorism act?

[cakeorwine]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/17/armed-police-threatened-to-arrest-kent-protester-for-holding-palestinian-flag

She had a sign saying "Free Gaza" and "Israel is committing genocide"

She was threatened with arrest under the terrorism act because a certain group that has been deemed to be a terrorist group also share those same views - and therefore the lady was supporting a terrorist group.

In the encounter, which she filmed, one officer told her: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.”

He went on to say that the phrase “Free Gaza” was “supportive of Palestine Action”, adding it was an offence “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act”. The officer told her she had committed that offence.

I can think of many groups who share those same beliefs. Having that belief does not mean you support that group.

A Kent police spokesperson said: “Under the Terrorism Act it is a criminal offence to carry or display items that may arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation such as Palestine Action.”

It's fashionable to highlight anybody supporting Palestine as being on the 'right side of history'. In doing so, Israel's name is blackened. You included Israel in the thread title, did you not?

Because the person in the article had mentioned Israel and Gaza when they were threatened with arrest under Section 12.

If you had bothered to think critically, you would have realised that this thread is about what expressing support for a proscribed organisation looks like.in practice

But I don't think you wanted to ever have that discussion

I look forward to Nigel Farage and Rodrick Jenkin’s imminent arrests, as many of the proscribed right wing groups on there also want to reduce immigration.

You should not be able to arrest people for saying they are against genocide ffs.

"Laura" is just another activist.

So what.

Was she expressing support for a proscribed organisation?

So the huge number of women and children in Gaza. What makes them different from you? If your whole family were bombed, you came home from work one day to your house destroyed and your children decapitated by a bomb. But it was wartime. And not a targeted attack. That wouldn't be murder? Your children wouldn't have been murdered in your eyes?

Can you imagine how the police would have answered if she had said:

"What if I had a sign saying "Reduce immigration" Would you have have thought I was expressing support for a proscribed group?"

"Err, no"

"But there are some proscribed groups who also think that? So surely by your logic, I would be expressing support for a proscribed group?"

"Err"

I do hope the police get much better training on this.

Highlighting the inhumane way Palestinian civilians are being treated isn't US blackening Israel's name, it's making its own reputation through it's actions.

I'm not sure how useful it is to to argue with someone who doesn't think shooting children seeking aid is wrong. There's no going back from that stance and it's not defensible.

Moving forward, IMO it's a waste of police time dealing with this. Protesters were arrested yesterday, again for holding up signs, and they have to be booked with all the administration and time that takes. There are far more pressing issues for the police to deal with.

And? So? Are we banning activism? Tommy Ten Names is going to love that.

We're at risk of seeing incremental creeping suppression of free speech right here in the UK. If you aren't concerned about that, you are the problem.

Is being an activist illegal now?
If so British values are clearly slipping, as per @cakeorwine's point.

Sorry, you are derailing the thread, according to the OP.

It doesn’t actually matter whether there is technically a genocide in Gaza or not (for the purposes of this discussion, obviously it matters in general)

There is definitely no genocide in France, but if I walked around saying there was, I would not expect to be arrested for supporting a terrorist organisation. Saying there is a genocide, even if that is not true, is not supporting terrorism.

The woman wasn't arrested. The Met has issued clear guidelines in what will constitute an arrest.

You don't seem to have read what I wrote and are making a straw man point.

Hilarious.

Netanyahu’s war mongering in the Middle East, the actions of the settlers in the West Bank and the genocide in Gaza have done a pretty good job of blackening Israel’s name.

She was threatened with arrest - and if she hadn't given her details, then she would have been arrested.

If she had been arrested and this had been referred to the CPS, your point, about activism, would have been valid. She wasn't arrested for holding a sign; that's just sensationalist click bait reporting.

The police officers would have rightfully been bollocked for that.

Irrelevant to the OP.

She was threatened with arrest - and you can clearly hear the police saying

"In the encounter, which she filmed, one officer told her: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.”

He went on to say that the phrase “Free Gaza” was “supportive of Palestine Action”, adding it was an offence “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act”. The officer told her she had committed that offence.

And that is what the whole thread is about

Oh - so you now agree that the police were wrong to use the threat of Section 12 in this situation.

Finally

I guess anything to avoid addressing that you seem to not identify the killing of women and children as murder because they are gazans

I am trying to keep this thread to what can and cannot be said and how Section12 applies.

There are plenty of other threads to discuss what's happening in Israel and Gaza

No, I'm repeating what the OP has said.