Palestine Motion member tells BBC plan to ban group ‘absurd’

A Palestine Motion member has advised the BBC it’s “absurd” the federal government plans to proscribe the group, which might successfully model it as a terrorist organisation.

Saeed Taji Farouky mentioned it “rips aside the very fundamental ideas of British democracy and the rule of legislation”, including: “It is one thing everybody must be terrified about.”

The BBC understands the house secretary is making ready a written assertion to place earlier than Parliament on Monday.

It comes after Palestine Motion activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two planes with purple paint, an incident branded “disgraceful” by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Farouky advised the BBC he has a conviction for legal harm associated to a distinct Palestine Motion protest.

He described the potential transfer from the federal government as a “knee-jerk response” and mentioned it was “being rushed via”.

When requested if the group ought to have been stunned by the transfer to proscribe it, given its actions, Mr Farouky mentioned the federal government had tried to reclassify Palestine Motion for years and it had “by no means been a tactic that scared” them.

Pressed on whether or not the group had crossed a line by concentrating on a navy web site with a job in defending the UK’s nationwide safety, Mr Farouky responded by outlining the group’s aims.

He mentioned Palestine Motion’s “entire purpose for being is to interrupt the fabric provide chain to genocide” and mentioned Friday’s incident was an “escalation in ways as a result of the genocide has escalated”.

Israel has strongly denied allegations of genocide regarding the continued conflict in Gaza.

RAF Brize Norton serves because the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, together with flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The air drive has carried out reconnaissance flights over Gaza out of the Cyprus base.

Footage posted on-line by Palestine Motion on Friday confirmed two individuals contained in the Oxfordshire airbase in darkness, with one using on a scooter as much as an Airbus Voyager and spraying paint into its jet engine.

After sharing the footage, a spokesperson mentioned: “Regardless of publicly condemning the Israeli authorities, Britain continues to ship navy cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets.”

The incident, which is being investigated by counter-terrorism police, prompted the federal government to launch a safety evaluation at navy bases throughout the UK.

On Friday, a spokesperson for Palestine Motion mentioned: “When our authorities fails to uphold their ethical and authorized obligations, it’s the duty of strange residents to take direct motion.”

In a separate submit on X, it mentioned the group represented “each particular person” who’s against Israel’s navy motion in Gaza, including: “In the event that they need to ban us, they ban us all”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer referred to as the incident at RAF Brize Norton “disgraceful” on Friday, whereas Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch mentioned it was “deeply regarding”.

Nonetheless, Amnesty Worldwide UK mentioned on Friday that it was “deeply involved at the usage of counter terrorism powers to focus on protests”.

“Terrorism powers ought to by no means have been used to worsen legal prices towards Palestine Motion activists they usually definitely should not be used to ban them,” the organisation added on social media.

Palestine Motion has engaged in actions which have predominantly focused arms corporations for the reason that begin of the present conflict in Gaza, with the group claiming duty in Could for the daubing of a US navy airplane in Eire.

The UK’s unbiased reviewer of terrorism laws advised the BBC Radio 4 Right this moment programme on Saturday it had “gone past protest to blackmail”.

“It is received to some extent the place they’ve began to say: ‘We are going to keep it up inflicting a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of kilos price of injury except you cease’,” Jonathan Corridor KC added.

Former Dwelling Secretary Suella Braverman mentioned the transfer to ban the group was “completely the right choice”.

“We will need to have zero tolerance for terrorism,” she wrote in a submit on X.

The house secretary has the ability below UK legislation to proscribe an organisation below the Terrorism Act 2000 in the event that they consider it’s “involved with terrorism”.

To enact the transfer, new laws can be wanted, which should be debated and accepted by each MPs and friends.

There are at the moment 81 teams proscribed as terrorist organisations within the UK below the Terrorism Act.

Extra reporting by Hollie Cole.