Police arrested an 84-year-old retired priest in London on Sunday for expressing support for Palestine Action. The arrest occurred during a protest marking one year since the group was banned under anti-terrorism legislation, as reported by The Independent.
Protest Outside Scotland Yard
Outside Scotland Yard, the headquarters of London’s Metropolitan Police, demonstrators held a banner reading: “Saving lives is not terrorism.” Police arrested about a dozen people, including the Rev. Sue Parfitt, 84, for expressing support for the banned group. Parfitt, a retired Anglican priest and former nun from Henbury, a suburb of Bristol, stood on a soapbox that featured the message “I oppose genocide.”
According to protest organizer Defend Our Juries, those arrested were detained under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act, described as a “far more serious charge than the Section 13 charge for which those holding signs have previously been arrested.”
Parfitt’s Remarks and Arrest
Parfitt spoke to the crowd through a megaphone. “So, what can I do at my age and my frailty? Very little. I do what I can to support the Palestinians,” she told protesters. “One of the best things that I can do is to support the organization known as Palestine Action because they have been brave enough to, some of them, smash up the weapons that are producing the genocide. So, I ask you too to support Palestine Action.”
The 84-year-old, who was wearing a clerical collar and a crucifix, was then arrested. Police officers led Parfitt away and searched her bag, which appeared to contain a Bible and a newspaper, among other items. She was then taken into a police van.
Background on the Ban
The ban on Palestine Action was announced by then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in June last year, and the proscription came into force a month later. In response to Sunday’s arrests, a spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said: “This action marks a substantial escalation in the campaign, Saving Lives is Not Terrorism. It may seem tongue-in-cheek to invite the police to join Palestine Action, but the police haven’t seen the funny side. They have arrested everyone under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act. Fourteen years in prison is no joke. Police officers are paid to save lives and prevent crime. Tens of thousands of children have already been murdered in Gaza. The best way the police could discharge their duty right now would be to target the British factories of Elbit Systems, the leading supplier of drones to the IDF. In the meantime, the ongoing attempt to silence peaceful opposition to genocide will continue to backfire.”
