In Praise of Civil Disobedience

Former Ambassador, Human Rights Activist

Western governments are deeply involved, strongly against the will of the majority of their population, in committing a colonial genocide of indigenous people. This happens because the political class have been bought by the Zionist lobby. The causes may run deeper, but that is the mechanism.

Democracy has therefore failed, having been fatally corrupted. In these circumstances, civil disobedience is not just ethically justified, it is the duty of the good citizen.

Palestine Action continue their highly effective actions to disrupt the chain of supply of the Israeli weapons industry.

On Friday morning I was at the Old Bailey with Palestine Action co-founder Richard Barnard (and afterwards in the pub, but let us draw a veil).

Richard was charged with support for terrorism under Section 12 (1) of the Terrorism Act in relation to a speech that he gave a year ago today. This carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. He was also charged with incitement to criminal damage.

The trial has been set for Manchester on 14 April. I hope that we can see a very large show of support outside the court on that day. Because it is a jury trial, to discuss the facts of the case could be in contempt of court.

I think I may however note that ministers and officials had discussed the prosecution of Palestine Action activists with representatives of Israeli weapons companies and of the Israeli Embassy. It is entirely illegitimate for private companies and foreign states to influence prosecutions.

Barnard nevertheless had been told that the investigation was closed – until it was revived and charges brought by the new “Labour” government, with the specific involvement of the Attorney General.

I then headed to Blackburn in relation to some individual cases of injustice and imprisonment on which I was asked for help during my election campaign, and am working.

By sheer coincidence, while I was there two female supporters of Palestine Action were arrested just outside town, at the Palestine Action protest at the BAE factory at Samlesbury.

What is very plain is that the police used quite unnecessary levels of violence to arrest two young women, who were not engaged in violent behaviour. There was no need whatsoever for officers to press one woman down to the road with their knees in her back, and pinion her arms behind her back with handcuffs.

This routine use of state brutality to discourage dissent is so commonplace now it is accepted as normal. But we must never allow it to become normal.

The women were taken to Blackburn police station and I was able to get down and join the small vigil outside protesting at their being held.

Meanwhile Palestine Action have come up with another brilliant move this week, targeting the offices of Allianz Insurance, who both invest in and insure the activities of Elbit systems, the Israeli arms manufacturer with several UK factories.

Palestine Action has my wholehearted support because their activities are carefully targeted at the roots of the Israeli arms industry in the UK. This is the right kind of direct action.

I am less enamoured of the activities of climate change protestors Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion. Either causing major disruption to the general public, or carrying out acts deliberately intended to cause shock and outrage, appear to me very strange activities which are counter-productive in gaining public support.

You can make intellectual arguments for closing roads or tube lines or pretend attacks on sanctified art works, but if the net result is to antagonise the general population to your cause, it is just an exercise in self-righteousness.

This does not mean in any way I support the excessive jail sentences that have been handed out to climate protestors. I certainly do not, and believe custodial sentences to be completely inappropriate for political protest.

But if they were to target for direct action the corporate HQs of Big Oil, or their major financiers and suppliers, they would be hugely more effective in getting their message across.

We know for certain that for decades the environmental movement has been heavily infiltrated by government agents. My suspicion is that some of the strange and unhelpful paths direct action protestors have gone down were initiated by agents provocateurs.

My admiration for those willing to act on their beliefs is not dimmed where they are slightly misguided in targeting.

In this increasingly authoritarian society, we shall continue to see growing numbers of political prisoners. The linked website is a good start but does not include the many cases of young Muslims jailed on extremely dubious terrorism-related convictions.

It is essential to the health of society that there is a vanguard of people willing to take direct action and ultimately to pay the price of imprisonment. Every great movement for social justice has needed such.

“What they hold over us is fear of getting arrested or going to prison. But if anything, this experience has taken away my fear. They’ve done the worst that they can do to me and I’m fine.”

— Francesca Nadin, a Palestine Action political prisoner https://t.co/OTAzhnUeHP

— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) October 8, 2024

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