Students supporting Palestine Action risk prison, universities warned
UK university students risk going to jail if they express support for the proscribed group Palestine Action, the former government advisor on political violence and disruption has warned.
Lord Walney, a former British government independent adviser, said that vice-chancellors should alert students to the the penalties that could be incurred by supporting the group’s policies or displaying its symbols.
Palestine Action, which disrupts the arms industry in the UK through direct action, was proscribed as a terrorist organisation on 5 July, after the group broke into RAF Brize Norton, the largest Royal Airforce station in Oxfordshire, and vandalised two military jets using red paint.
Palestine Action’s deliberate strategy has long involved drawing students into criminal activity under the guise of legitimate protest
Lord Walney, former British government independent advisor
On the day of the proscription, 29 people were arrested for expressing support for the organisation, with some holding placards stating: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
Lord Walney reiterated the risks to students of supporting the now-proscribed group, saying: “Palestine Action’s deliberate strategy has long involved drawing students into criminal activity under the guise of legitimate protest, preying on the understandable sympathy for Palestinians felt by large numbers of young people to find recruits.”
The proscription will impact how groups within the University, such as Warwick Stands With Palestine (WSWP), can speak about Palestine Action.
The University of Warwick pro-Palestine group made a statement on Instagram prior to the proscription, declaring: “From our campuses to our streets, we the students, unequivocally stand side by side with Palestine Action against the government’s shameful threats of proscription.”
The student movement and Palestine Action are two fronts of one struggle for liberation
Warwick Stands With Palestine statement
A second-year Warwick student who identifies as a Conservative told The Boar: “Whether [Palestine Action] deserved it or not, I would not be supporting a proscribed terror organisation, even if it has a few values that I align with.”
Warwick Stands With Palestine expressed its support for Palestine Action in its statement before the proscription, stating: “The student movement and Palestine Action are two fronts of one struggle for liberation.”
Comments (1)
What is wrong with standing against genocide?