cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/15338
The police have arrested activist Greta Thunberg at a protest to un-proscribe Palestine Action. Thunberg was holding a sign which read:
I support Palestine Action prisoners.
I oppose genocide.
View this post on Instagram
She is the latest activist to be arrested by British police amidst an ongoing crackdown on civil liberties and free speech in support of Palestine.
Greta Thunberg shows support for hunger strikers unwavering
A press release documenting Greta Thunberg’s arrest reads as follows:
“Greta Thunberg was arrested under the Terrorism Act at the Prisoners for Palestine lock-on protest outside the offices of Aspen Insurance at Plantation Place, 30 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BD. She arrived after the protest began, with a sign reading “I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide”
This morning two activists covered the front of the building with symbolic blood-red paint, using re-purposed fire extinguishers, and the pair then locked-on at the front of the building, with the intention of drawing attention to Aspen’s complicity in Genocide, disrupting their business, and closing down the building.
Aspen Insurance, a global speciality insurer and reinsurer were targeted because they provide services to Elbit Systems UK, providing the arms manufacturer with the mandatory Employer Liability insurance without which Elbit could not produce weapons in Britain. Elbit are Israel’s biggest weapons maker, producing over 85% of their killer drone fleet and land-based equipment.
The action [by Greta Thunberg and others] was also carried out in solidarity with the Prisoners for Palestine hunger-strikers, who are now in the eighth week of a hunger-strike, launched on November 2nd. The first 2 prisoners to join the protest, are now on their 52nd day on hunger-strike, and at a critical stage, where death is a real possibility. David Lammy, British Minister of Justice, has refused to speak to legal representatives of the hunger-strikers, or their families.
After the two activists locked-on at the front of the Aspen offices, they were joined by supporters. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg then arrived, holding a banner reading, “I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.” She was then arrested by police. This follows an arrest in Scotland, where a protestor was arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act, for holding a sign reading, “I support the Palestine Action hunger strikers.”
In a statement of solidarity with the hunger-strikers released on Instagram a few days ago, Greta Thunberg said:
It is up to the state to intervene, and put an end to this by meeting these reasonable demands that pave the way for the freedom of all those who choose to use their rights trying to stop a genocide, something the British state has failed to do themselves. Mobilise and escalate to ensure the government cannot ignore their demands, and most importantly continue to answer their calls to Shut Elbit Down. Free Palestine!
The protest is ongoing”.
Greta Thunberg was at the pro-Palestine Hanukkah demo last night arranged by Jewish activists (reporting to follow).
Featured image via Greta Thunberg
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
Greta is the shining hope of humanity.
Oh no. Not again.
I support Greta Thunberg and the other Palestine Action prisoners, I oppose genocide.
Showing Britain for the Fascist shithole it’s been turned into.
Always been*
Hey, it was pretty cool before the Romans showed up
She has bigger balls than most of the men in my generation.
You can be a terrorist for holding a sign now?
Honest question: did you read the part where she locked herself to the front doors of a building on private property?
Is that terrorism?
If it says “I support genocide”, you’ll be left alone by the Metropolitan police: https://youtube.com/shorts/RP1sPaH4Zec
Only when you say you oppose genocide, you’ll be labeled a terrorist.
Only if the rich don’t like it
The issue is a bit more complex. Palestine Action decided to go into a military airport and caused damage to one of their planes which resulted in that plane being grounded. And thanks to the UK’s lax definition of what constitutes a terrorist organisation (namely causing considerable damage to public or private infrastructure and property, in an attempt to support a political or ideological cause, as an organisation), it was super easy to proscribe PA.
Which is pretty dumb as it was the same govt who refused to roll back laws that limited the legal framework of protests, making them essentially pointless, so the only action people can take to make the government actually listen… is what the government considers terrorism.
Fun fact: when the UK law was passed to designate things instances like this as terrorism they specifically stated to not use it for this law to prosecute protesters. And Jeremy Corbyn brought up this exact thing about it. Decades ago. Here is the footage.
Damage as in spray painting?
You say that like it was an accident.
deleted by creator
Destroying military aircraft is a grey area? I’m not judging their actions at all, just being pragmatic… destroying military aircraft is pretty much what it is - there’s a reason it’s protest, and at the highest level - there’s consequences. This just doesn’t seem like a confused Pikachu moment. For the record, I’ve been paddy wagoned, beat by cops, tear gassed, a whole bunch. I was released bc we didn’t attack a military base for fucks sake. You play in the big leagues, there’s gotta be respective consequence, no?
Let me be very clear: all military aircraft should be destroyed. All if them. Humanity should demilitarize.
Cool, and I’m sure those who damaged the planes were prepared to be arrested. But now they’re arresting people for saying, “Hey, I think what those guys who damaged a plane are saying is right.” That crosses a line, for me.
Oh fuck, I didn’t catch that. That’s literal fascism.
They threw paint at some military aircraft, which is a far cry from “destroying”.
They didn’t blew up anything or even significantly damage it, they did just enough to be considered “damage” per that insanely broad law, kinda like in Britain somebody talking loud during a demonstration is enough to be considered “disturbing the public order” giving the coppers a legal excuse to arrest people participating in that demonstration.
No idea were you pulled that “destroying” from.
The aircraft wasn’t destroyed. It had some paint thrown at it - considerably less damage than it would receive during even a routine reconnaissance mission. It was literally grounded for three days only, and even that was because the RAF decided to do a full checkup, something that wasn’t warranted at the time.
I read it was only some paint, does anyone have sources that say more damage was done? Id be interested in them.
They also hit them with crowbars.
Some members also beat a police officer with a sledgehammer and he was in recovery for three months due to an injury to his spine.
If you watch the video that was released you’ll see it’s not as clear cut as your comment makes out.
For example, the officer was also wielding a sledgehammer, a protestor had just slipped on the wet floor and as they were getting up again the sledgehammer wielding officer used the handle to shove them to the ground again.
Only parts of the footage have been released and the parts they did release didn’t paint the picture of an innocent bobby being brutalised by terrorists, as they tried to portray in multiple press releases beforehand.
They also released the footage during the midst of an active trial despite having it for months prior.
The police’s actions are not those of an impartial or innocent organisation.
The footage was released after it had been presented in court, as is the norm.
Punching a Nazi with a sledgehammer shouldn’t be a crime
Apparently the cop was the one swinging the sledgehammer.
Lmao
In the UK it has been this way for a while now. But if you commit genocide that’s all fine.
@kevin@programming.dev
@thecanaryuk@kbin.earth @floofloof@lemmy.ca
The pen IS mightier than the sword.
Apparently.
For people wondering what’s with all the @-mentions in the above comment: that’s how microblogging apps like Mastodon do replies. Though the person is on a Kbin instance, and idk how that service works.
kbin includes the @ by default and I can’t be arsed deleting them.
Thank god for firebrands like her. I am so proud of her. Imagine if we all had one tenth of her persistence and idealism!
Good. Not that she got arrested of course, but that she keeps protesting, internationally. So soon after what must have been a pretty harrowing experience in Israel.
It seems they chose their target well, too:
Aspen Insurance, a global speciality insurer and reinsurer were targeted because they provide services to Elbit Systems UK, providing the arms manufacturer with the mandatory Employer Liability insurance without which Elbit could not produce weapons in Britain. Elbit are Israel’s biggest weapons maker, producing over 85% of their killer drone fleet and land-based equipment.
What is the hunger strike over?
It’s in the article. They want the government to force an insurance company to stop insuring a weapons manufacturer, that provides israel with ground weapons and drones, it said.
It looks like the penalty in the UK for showing support (clothing, signs) is up to 6 months in prison.
It’s one reason the government is so keen to reduce jury trials. Because nobody is going to send granny down for holding a piece of cardboard.
As far as I know, very few people, if any, have been charged, most are released the same day.
So, the good news is those penalties aren’t being enforced.
Greta was protesting for the release of anti-genocide protestors, some of whom are 40+ days into a hunger strike in jail.
There were plenty of ways of doing that without wading into the proscription issue.
Yes, its important to only ever protest the way to gov tells you to. That way you can be sure nothing gets done.
I’ve never been able to quite grasp the rationale of a hunger strike. I can’t recall hearing about one that was successful. You are protesting men who have no respect for life by causing yourself to suffer at them? More likely there is some “powerful” man, or group of “powerful” men, somewhere furiously masturbating to your suffering.
I mean no disrespect to the protesters, I just don’t see a possible win for them with that tactic.
It puts the moral question to the government of they are willing to let people die over a given issue. I’m this case even putting them in jail is preposterous, yet it’s a line they are clearly willing to cross. Hence it’s great that Thunberg joins in (wel not really, but you get my drift)
It’s a moral game of chicken, so there won’t be any winners even if shit does collide.
Greta is great. Her arrest record is surely a thing of legend, and man, does she ever piss off the bastards in charge. But that’s the thing, she’s known, she’s liked and she’s loud. She may be effective.
Hunger strikes are always done by someone you can’t see. They are usually already imprisoned.
Maybe we’re just insulated in the States. We definitely collectively lack empathy. I guess it comes down to who you’re willing to do violence against. It’s not in me to do violence to myself, which choosing to starve certainly is, but I’m willing to punch a Nazi and have more than once in my life.
I guess everyone who will fight will fight their own way.
Hunger strikes aren’t to get the sympathy of the jailer, but of the people. It’s effectiveness is certainly debatable.
In prison, most of your autonomy is taken away. Refusing to eat is one way you can assert yourself to cause a stir, while making any response (e.g. force-feeding) a clear violation of your autonomy.
Ever heard of a guy called Mohandas Gandhi?
Yep, heard of him. Don’t know enough about his hunger strike to understand what it accomplished. Power must have had more of a conscience then, or feared the reaction of the people if he managed to die though. That just makes it harder for me to believe it can be an effective tactic now.
Worked for Dolores Price.
Did she break the law? If yes, then I’m glad they uphold their laws. If she didn’t, burn the system down. If you don’t like the laws, change them. If you have tyrants who ignore the laws, destroy them.
Her fight also includes changing the law.
It’s almost like the law is specifically there to arbitrarily name those they don’t like terrorists
Palestine Action is a designated terrorist organisation and support is illegal.
not seeing it on the list. is it under a different name?
*found on a different UK gov page
edit: also to be clear this is only listed as such by the UK, it seems, and LOL at why. so it’s a bs designation and as such the UK will be laughed at for it
You must have an old list.
I’m surprised she was not turned away at the border. She’s not a UK citizen, has recently been deported by an allied country, and given that British law enshrines the IHRA definition of antisemitism, her legal status would be equivalent to that of a Holocaust denier, and her presence would be considered “not conducive to public order”.
I hope she gets jailed forever.
She is such a pest.
I hope you get banned forever. You’re such a pest.
Fair, right? And i’m not even talking behind your back.
Imagine using your numbered days to spread hate on the internet, what a horrible existence it must be…
Bet you were pretty disappointed when Nelson Mandela got out too
You can simp for genocidal pedophile billionaires as much as you want, they’re not gonna love you back.
We are all pests on this earth, bud. But at least some are humane and less damaging to the world than other pests.
I’m still waiting to see how the boat publicity stunt ends the war in Gaza. I was told it wasn’t stupid to almost get herself killed because It WiLl sEnD a MeSsAGE.
It’s not a war, it’s a genocide.
Get over yourself.
