Dublin and Tyrone civil rights veterans to attend Derry protest over Palestine Action ban
Civil right veteran Eamonn McCann has warned that ‘protesting genocide is not a crime’ as it was confirmed civil rights activists from Dublin and Tyrone will join a third weekly protest in Derry over the Palestine Action ban.
This weekend’s protest against the ongoing genocide in Gaza and ‘the criminalisation of protest against it’ will take place at 1:00pm Saturday in Guildhall Square, in coordination with similar protests in London, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff.
A spokesperson for the Derry event said: “Gaza is starving, dozens of children have already died of malnutrition and the UN tells us many more will die in the coming days. Instead of trying to stop this genocide, the London government is seeking to outlaw those who are trying to stop the flow of arms to the Israeli forces.”
Organisers said that since Palestine Action was proscribed as a ‘terrorist’ group on July 5, over 170 people have been arrested for opposing genocide and standing against the ban.
“But they cannot arrest everyone and the numbers of those willing to stand against genocide and for freedom of speech is growing every week. This week’s protest will again be joined by civil rights veterans traveling from Dublin and Tyrone.
Eamonn McCann said: “We plan to continue these Saturday protests until the outlawing of Palestine Action is overturned.
"The idea that, at a time when we can see Gaza being turned into a concentration camp, with people nearing death from starvation, the British government’s response is to criminalise those who are trying to stop it.
"Protesting genocide is not a crime. We are all Palestine Action.”
The protests follow the proscription of Palestine Action earlier this month after activists from the group damaged a number of military planes at an RAF base in Oxfordshire.
A total of 385 members of the British House of Commons voted in favour of the ban. Foyle MP Colum Eastwood was among 26 MPs who voted against.
Speaking back in June, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I have decided to proscribe Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. A draft proscription order will be laid in Parliament on Monday 30 June. If passed, it will make it illegal to be a member of, or to invite support for, Palestine Action."