Why's the Met blaming protesters for 'wasting' its resources on arresting 'terrorist' pensioners? There’s a proper address for its grievances: Starmer's authoritarian, genocide-complicit government
Thank you again for such an encouraging and straight-forward piece of journalism. Although long after the event now, I was so appalled by the actions of a party I had voted for to form a government, that while the Zionist Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, remains I shall never vote in any way for the party or this leader again. It seems to me that the Green Party is the only one that has the right to call itself a Labour Party in spirit if not in name.
Thank you so much for this damning commentary on the Starmer government and its Police thugs , who appear to be doing their best to destroy the very notion of democracy and free speech. Reading your article I was reminded of the cannon fodder sent by the UK government to the trenches in France during WW1 , to be slaughtered while those giving the orders were miles away in cosy safety . The profiteering of the ultra wealthy at the expense of the public has little changed.
Arrived 10:30, placard 1:00pm, arrested 9:00pm, first process3:00am, bused to Brixton 5:00am, locked up 6:00am, bailed 2:30 pm. I’ll do it all again, but am uncomfortable with personal abuse. To protesters, supporters or police. I went to be abused (arrested and locked up by a corrupt govt), but I saw children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, brothers sisters and parents amongst the police in that 6 hours walking queue. All people are our family and that includes the police. The majority of the rank and file officers there, hated this duty. But I don’t want beat coppers chosing which laws they enforce based on their individual political views. (We weren’t being taken down Milbank to be shot, and I would expect the police to mutiny well before that!). I went to be arrested and expected the police to do their duty and most did, reluctantly, relatively carefully and under much pressure. It may not be a popular view, but the compassionate officers far outnumbered those finding it difficult to maintain self control. The real “enemy” occupy the large gothic building in front of Parliament Square, and they had their feet up at home.
As an American I'm disgusted with the erosion of free speech rights for pro Palestinian voices, and horrified by how some have been punished with loss of jobs and careers , and my veins run like ice full terror when good people are prosecuted and singled out by the government because they dared to speak the truth.
But the way the government of the UK has made communicating a, sentence... an arrangement of words, “I support Palestine Action.” an act of terrorism disturbs me in a special way. It's darker.
It's such a direct challenge to the people. It's the government telling everyone in the UK what they have decided the limits of citizens' speech is on Gaza in an unambiguous way. It's very in your face. It's... "I dare you to cross this line."
even as I'm forloren and terrified by American ( it's not just trumps ) efforts to chill and punish Pro Palestinian speech here...
What shocks me is the audacity of the UK government. To just come out and say to their voting public.......You better not say these words ! We Will fucking throw you in jail.
it' undercuts the notion that the government are the servants of the people so bluntly.
Thank you, Jonathan - I was one of the c900 sitting with the placard and arrested (at 9pm) under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act. From where I was sitting - there were a few of us from Cambridge: retired teachers, professors, community artists; a Jewish group form Hastings; a retired architect from North Yorkshire; and later some of the committee from JVL - there was no violence. I had a long chat with a delightful family with two children (9 and 11) from Woking who were incredibly supportive. Many came up to us and thanked us for our courage. Many of us are over 70. My arresting officer was courteous, and we had some good conversations while waiting for 3 hours to get booked in and bailed - others seemed to be doing the same. In an open air ad hoc police station on Millbank, under a full moon, with protesters gently singing We Shall Overcome, it felt peaceful and positive. Our calm, I think, came from a conviction that we were doing the right thing, and being committed to non-violent direct action.
Thanks for setting the record straight, in this age of government lies and mass media amplifying them.
This move by the government is an appaling response to an ONGOING genocide, that the British government actually have a legal obligation to help stop, according to international conventions that they have ratified.
But this type of morally reprehensible response is also taking other new forms:
Sept 4 (Reuters) - The United States has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian human rights groups that asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel over allegations of genocide in Gaza, according to a notice posted to the U.S. Treasury Department's website on Thursday
It's worse than the police supporting whatever government: it's the police supporting the STATE, which is support for the pure, atrocious violence inherent in such an entity.
I was there with a contingent from PSc Cardiff. Very proud to represent Wales at this amazing gathering of humanities finest.
I was so impressed with the spirited chanting and drumming of the young Palestinian people, who I believe were part of the Healthcare workers for Gaza group.
It all stinks. I'm not saying opposing genocide isn't a worthy cause but this overtly heavy handed policing seems performative and staged to me.
The absurdity of making it an offence to debate Palestine Action is akin to the ridiculously OTT unevidenced 'covid' measures, the suppression of scientific debate over them and the bused in police officers (there's one in you photo clearly from the Humberside force) spoiling for a fight when numbers got smaller at the end of freedom marches. Together with gender ideology resulting in images of people with dicks in women's sport they seem to deliberately promote the idea of woke government gone mad. You suggest some people at the march may not even support Palestine Action but support the right to debate and protest. Of course they do, who wouldn't?
You mention 'government' 16 times and repeat 'authoritarian' twice. The absurd draconian measures seem designed to make people oppose big government. You mention that the billionaires control the British media, however, they also control the British government who are puppets of mainly US based interests in fossil fuels, animal ag, pharma, tech, AI, finance, sex and drug trafficking, arms and media. These forces want us to think that it's government or the state that's at fault or is the danger, rather than who it actually is, big industry. These forces are happy for us to blame Starmer; though getting a new PM will make no difference. All parties are subjects of industry, either before or after entering office.
The 'government' simply does what it's told and in this instance they seem to be creating a swing, like the one in the US, towards the abandonment of government regulations, mandates and power in favour of unimpeded industry profits.
What you are saying is accurate to a point. The truth is that it's not even the US government establishing Fascism everywhere, it's the International Financial Institutions, otherwise known as the Empire. I don't think the US is the real empire, just the most brutally powerful that serves the Empire's Interests in human suffering=war and genocide and extraction or Capitalism.
No change in head of State in the US or UK or EU would make a difference in policy in my opinion.
No, it’s not the US ‘government’ doing anything or establishing fascism. The US politicians are also vassals of the empire- they display continuity of agenda as laid out by the think tanks- Heritage Foundation, Brooking, Project 2025 etc. However, these financial, fossil fuel animal ag, arms, pharma, AI etc interests are mostly based in the US. They are not international- they very definitely and explicitly want to maintain white, christian US hegemony by suppressing BRICS; as well as so called US ‘allies’!
If you haven't already got the photo of the police arresting a mannequin with a placard, you will find it on the Frome Friends of Palesstine pages somewhere on Facebook. I have tried to find out what extra resources were spent on policing the 9th August, which I attnded - but no answer, and this one will have cost them twice as much. A perfect day for opportunistic London shoplifters!
My cousin Daniel, who is Jewish and whose family were mostly murdered in the Holocaust, was at this demonstration. He just told me he, in his part of the demo, didn’t see any demonstrators attacking the Police physically, but there was a lot of shouting and some swearing. He was lucky to avoid being arrested. Never mind, when a neighbor was burgled two days ago it took the Police two hours to arrive and then they made some notes and went away and he hasn’t heard from them again yet, because our particular London borough is short of Police.
Thank you again for such an encouraging and straight-forward piece of journalism. Although long after the event now, I was so appalled by the actions of a party I had voted for to form a government, that while the Zionist Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, remains I shall never vote in any way for the party or this leader again. It seems to me that the Green Party is the only one that has the right to call itself a Labour Party in spirit if not in name.
Thank you so much for this damning commentary on the Starmer government and its Police thugs , who appear to be doing their best to destroy the very notion of democracy and free speech. Reading your article I was reminded of the cannon fodder sent by the UK government to the trenches in France during WW1 , to be slaughtered while those giving the orders were miles away in cosy safety . The profiteering of the ultra wealthy at the expense of the public has little changed.
Arrived 10:30, placard 1:00pm, arrested 9:00pm, first process3:00am, bused to Brixton 5:00am, locked up 6:00am, bailed 2:30 pm. I’ll do it all again, but am uncomfortable with personal abuse. To protesters, supporters or police. I went to be abused (arrested and locked up by a corrupt govt), but I saw children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, brothers sisters and parents amongst the police in that 6 hours walking queue. All people are our family and that includes the police. The majority of the rank and file officers there, hated this duty. But I don’t want beat coppers chosing which laws they enforce based on their individual political views. (We weren’t being taken down Milbank to be shot, and I would expect the police to mutiny well before that!). I went to be arrested and expected the police to do their duty and most did, reluctantly, relatively carefully and under much pressure. It may not be a popular view, but the compassionate officers far outnumbered those finding it difficult to maintain self control. The real “enemy” occupy the large gothic building in front of Parliament Square, and they had their feet up at home.
As an American I'm disgusted with the erosion of free speech rights for pro Palestinian voices, and horrified by how some have been punished with loss of jobs and careers , and my veins run like ice full terror when good people are prosecuted and singled out by the government because they dared to speak the truth.
But the way the government of the UK has made communicating a, sentence... an arrangement of words, “I support Palestine Action.” an act of terrorism disturbs me in a special way. It's darker.
It's such a direct challenge to the people. It's the government telling everyone in the UK what they have decided the limits of citizens' speech is on Gaza in an unambiguous way. It's very in your face. It's... "I dare you to cross this line."
even as I'm forloren and terrified by American ( it's not just trumps ) efforts to chill and punish Pro Palestinian speech here...
What shocks me is the audacity of the UK government. To just come out and say to their voting public.......You better not say these words ! We Will fucking throw you in jail.
it' undercuts the notion that the government are the servants of the people so bluntly.
Thank you, Jonathan - I was one of the c900 sitting with the placard and arrested (at 9pm) under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act. From where I was sitting - there were a few of us from Cambridge: retired teachers, professors, community artists; a Jewish group form Hastings; a retired architect from North Yorkshire; and later some of the committee from JVL - there was no violence. I had a long chat with a delightful family with two children (9 and 11) from Woking who were incredibly supportive. Many came up to us and thanked us for our courage. Many of us are over 70. My arresting officer was courteous, and we had some good conversations while waiting for 3 hours to get booked in and bailed - others seemed to be doing the same. In an open air ad hoc police station on Millbank, under a full moon, with protesters gently singing We Shall Overcome, it felt peaceful and positive. Our calm, I think, came from a conviction that we were doing the right thing, and being committed to non-violent direct action.
Thanks for setting the record straight, in this age of government lies and mass media amplifying them.
This move by the government is an appaling response to an ONGOING genocide, that the British government actually have a legal obligation to help stop, according to international conventions that they have ratified.
But this type of morally reprehensible response is also taking other new forms:
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-imposes-sanctions-palestinians-who-asked-israel-war-crimes-probe-2025-09-04/
Sept 4 (Reuters) - The United States has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian human rights groups that asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel over allegations of genocide in Gaza, according to a notice posted to the U.S. Treasury Department's website on Thursday
It's worse than the police supporting whatever government: it's the police supporting the STATE, which is support for the pure, atrocious violence inherent in such an entity.
I was there with a contingent from PSc Cardiff. Very proud to represent Wales at this amazing gathering of humanities finest.
I was so impressed with the spirited chanting and drumming of the young Palestinian people, who I believe were part of the Healthcare workers for Gaza group.
I dare any one to write the thing you can't support here in the comments.
You are probably on thin ice posting images of the demo placards.
So much for free speech in the UK.
#CrimesAgainstHumanity #CriminalZionistStates
Excellent article. Thank you
It all stinks. I'm not saying opposing genocide isn't a worthy cause but this overtly heavy handed policing seems performative and staged to me.
The absurdity of making it an offence to debate Palestine Action is akin to the ridiculously OTT unevidenced 'covid' measures, the suppression of scientific debate over them and the bused in police officers (there's one in you photo clearly from the Humberside force) spoiling for a fight when numbers got smaller at the end of freedom marches. Together with gender ideology resulting in images of people with dicks in women's sport they seem to deliberately promote the idea of woke government gone mad. You suggest some people at the march may not even support Palestine Action but support the right to debate and protest. Of course they do, who wouldn't?
You mention 'government' 16 times and repeat 'authoritarian' twice. The absurd draconian measures seem designed to make people oppose big government. You mention that the billionaires control the British media, however, they also control the British government who are puppets of mainly US based interests in fossil fuels, animal ag, pharma, tech, AI, finance, sex and drug trafficking, arms and media. These forces want us to think that it's government or the state that's at fault or is the danger, rather than who it actually is, big industry. These forces are happy for us to blame Starmer; though getting a new PM will make no difference. All parties are subjects of industry, either before or after entering office.
The 'government' simply does what it's told and in this instance they seem to be creating a swing, like the one in the US, towards the abandonment of government regulations, mandates and power in favour of unimpeded industry profits.
What you are saying is accurate to a point. The truth is that it's not even the US government establishing Fascism everywhere, it's the International Financial Institutions, otherwise known as the Empire. I don't think the US is the real empire, just the most brutally powerful that serves the Empire's Interests in human suffering=war and genocide and extraction or Capitalism.
No change in head of State in the US or UK or EU would make a difference in policy in my opinion.
No, it’s not the US ‘government’ doing anything or establishing fascism. The US politicians are also vassals of the empire- they display continuity of agenda as laid out by the think tanks- Heritage Foundation, Brooking, Project 2025 etc. However, these financial, fossil fuel animal ag, arms, pharma, AI etc interests are mostly based in the US. They are not international- they very definitely and explicitly want to maintain white, christian US hegemony by suppressing BRICS; as well as so called US ‘allies’!
Never in wildest dreams would I have believed the Labour Party I campaigned for & supported would become this fascist government but here we are!
If you haven't already got the photo of the police arresting a mannequin with a placard, you will find it on the Frome Friends of Palesstine pages somewhere on Facebook. I have tried to find out what extra resources were spent on policing the 9th August, which I attnded - but no answer, and this one will have cost them twice as much. A perfect day for opportunistic London shoplifters!
My cousin Daniel, who is Jewish and whose family were mostly murdered in the Holocaust, was at this demonstration. He just told me he, in his part of the demo, didn’t see any demonstrators attacking the Police physically, but there was a lot of shouting and some swearing. He was lucky to avoid being arrested. Never mind, when a neighbor was burgled two days ago it took the Police two hours to arrive and then they made some notes and went away and he hasn’t heard from them again yet, because our particular London borough is short of Police.
Of course, women achieved the right to vote in New Zealand first.
Viva Palestina!