Mass civic disobedience action for Gaza in defiance of state intimidation

_London - _An anticipated record number of protestors were arrested today with over 1000 individuals defying state intimidation and raising their voices exposing the UK government’s complicity in the Gaza genocide. 

Demonstrators gathered at Parliament Square for the third time since July in support of Defend our Juries’ Lift the Ban protest against the proscription of Palestine Action. 

The final tally of those arrested today - currently standing at over 300 - will inflate the already staggering list of 804 arrests linked to the banning of Palestine Action, one of the only groups in the UK disrupting the flow of weapons for use in Gaza. 

The monthly demonstrations have visibly overwhelmed police, who have diverted resources to arrest peaceful protestors - many of whom are elderly citizens, including blind and wheelchair-bound participants. 

Accounts from today’s protest documented police aggression as arrests were being made. 

The state’s response to the demonstration will add to the mounting embarrassment of the UK government as its curtailment of civil liberties puts it on par with despotic regimes. 

CAGE International joined 22 other Muslim organisations at the demonstration, forming part of a Muslim bloc at the Witness Circle. Black Lives Matter UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network - UK were also part of the Witness Circle, collectively representing 500 000 members and supporters.  

CAGE International’s Head of Public Advocacy, Anas Mustapha, said: 

“As the name suggests, the “Lift the Ban Witness Bloc’’ was witness to the policing of the demonstration, exposing the authoritarian use of counter-terrorism powers to silence dissent. Counter-terrorism powers have been used for over two decades to marginalise Muslim communities in the UK. Now, these very laws are being employed to criminalise solidarity and crush resistance against the live-streamed genocide in Gaza.” 

“The state wants to narrowly define what kind of protest and messaging is acceptable for the public. When forms of protest - such as direct action - highlight the UK government’s complicity in the genocide, it then becomes unacceptable. We’ve now reached a point where mass civil disobedience is necessary to unravel the growing authoritarianism.”

“We salute the hundreds of brave members of the public who stood with conscience and courage today to oppose genocide, risking arrest to speak the truth. We were proud to join the Witness Bloc alongside dozens of organisations who came to show solidarity. What we witnessed was a deeply dignified and peaceful protest met with a disturbing show of brute force by counter-terrorism police. To continue its policy in support of genocide, the government has weaponised terror laws to crack down on peaceful protest — but it will not succeed. The spirit of resistance we saw today cannot be silenced!”

ENDS