Hundreds rally near Downing Street as delegation delivers letter to UK government calling for sanctions on Israel.
Leading Jewish figures in Britain have signed a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper denouncing the government’s decision to proscribe the activist group Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation.
The delivery of the letter on Tuesday coincides with a protest organised under the slogan Proscribe Genocide, Not Protest. The rally outside Downing Street is expected to draw hundreds of participants, including figures from Britain’s Jewish community.
The letter, signed by about 300 Jewish British citizens, condemns the ban as “illegitimate and unethical” and calls for urgent government action against Israel over its conduct of the war in the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip and over escalating violence engulfing the occupied West Bank.
Among the signatories are human rights lawyer Geoffrey Bindman, filmmaker Mike Leigh, author Michael Rosen and writer Gillian Slovo. Jenny Manson, chairperson of Jewish Voice for Labour and one of the lead organisers, said the group was acting both as human beings and as Jews with a moral obligation to oppose genocide.
“We are Jews horrified by the genocide being carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people,” Manson said in a statement. “For us, ‘Never again’ does not mean only crimes against Jews but never again by anyone to anyone.”
Speakers at the rally include Andrew Feinstein, son of a Holocaust survivor and former South African MP; historian Joseph Finlay; documentary filmmaker Gillian Mosely; and comedian and author Alexei Sayle.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the United Kingdom have been protesting weekly against Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023, making it clear they feel their voices aren’t being heard.
Protest despite police warning
The rally comes as the rights group Defend Our Juries confirmed that more than 500 people have committed to “risking arrest” by participating in a related demonstration on Saturday aimed at overturning the ban on Palestine Action.
Those taking part are expected to hold placards reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
The Metropolitan Police Service has warned that expressing support for Palestine Action could lead to arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000.
“Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested,” a police spokesperson said.
Defend Our Juries, which coordinated the campaign, rejected claims that the demonstration is intended to overwhelm law enforcement or the courts. “If we are allowed to protest peacefully and freely, then that is no bother to anyone,” a spokesperson said.
More than 200 people were arrested in protests across the UK last month for displaying the same message.
The letter being delivered on Tuesday urges the UK government to move beyond “handwringing” over the situation in Gaza and take meaningful action.
It calls for the immediate recognition of the State of Palestine and the imposition of sanctions on Israel, including suspension of the UK-Israel trade agreement, an end to all exports used by the Israeli military and the termination of UK military and intelligence collaboration with Israel.
It also calls for a ban on all Israeli imports, legal accountability for UK citizens serving in the Israeli military and the summoning of Israel’s ambassador to the UK for her public support of military actions.
The letter states that opposing genocide, apartheid and ethnic cleansing in Palestine is not anti-Semitic and should not be criminalised.
“Criticising Israel and opposing the brutality … including taking direct action, are not terrorism,” it reads.
Palestine Action was banned in July after a high-profile incident in which the group claimed responsibility for damaging two Voyager aircraft at the Brize Norton air force base, causing an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.3m) of damage.
Last week, the High Court ruled that a legal challenge against the ban by Palestine Action cofounder Huda Ammori could proceed, citing several “reasonably arguable” grounds for review. However, the court declined to pause the ban before a three-day hearing set for November.
If upheld, the proscription means membership in or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.