Palestine Action ban ‘could become Starmer’s poll tax moment’ as freedom of speech row deepens
Starmer faces furious backlash to ban on Palestine Action
- Sir Keir Starmer is facing a furious backlash after the arrest of hundreds of people during a protest in support of Palestine Action, a recently proscribed organisation, on Saturday.
- The 532 arrests mark the highest number by the Metropolitan Police at a single protest since the 1990s, with many of those held reported to be over 60.
- Politicians from across the spectrum, including David Davis and Peter Hain, alongside civil liberties groups like Amnesty and Liberty, have condemned the arrests as an excessive use of counter-terrorism powers.
- Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti said the Palestine Action proscription “is in danger of becoming a mistake of poll tax proportions” – a reference to Margaret Thatcher’s unpopular policy that sparked riots.
- The government defended the proscription, citing alleged criminal damage and targeting of Jewish-owned businesses by the group.