As from tomorrow, I will be liable under the Terrorism Act to up to 14 years in prison for my membership of Palestine Action.
I am 78, married, a father and a grandfather, a Quaker, a retired GP & psychiatrist. My main aim in life is to look after my land and to play the flute, to prevent water pollution (search LocalAction4Water) and to work to prevent war, both conventional and nuclear.
Parliament has voted overwhelmingly for me to die in prison, classifying Palestine Action (PA), a non-violent protest group, as a terrorist organisation.
I joined PA a couple of days ago in protest against its proscribing and in protest against Netanyahu’s terrorist and arguable genocidal campaign against the people of Gaza.
Terrorism is the act of using lethal violence against civilians (as opposed to military forces), for political ends. I absolutely condemn terrorist violence of all kinds, whether by states or by non-state actors.
The legal definition of terrorism is violence against civilians for political purposes by non state actors. This is to device agreed by state politicians to excuse state politicians from being accused of terrorism. Clearly an absurd legal manoeuvre, designed to allow politicians like Putin and Netanyahu to kill civilians without being accused of terrorism. Nevertheless, they are terrorists. They kill civilians for political ends.
It is hard is hard to believe that this is happening in Britain, and that Parliament has voted this through.
I really do not wish to go to prison. I am not mentally prepared for it, but if this is what it takes under this Government to make a stand for truth, humanity, sustainability and peace, then so be it.
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