A Youth Demand protester at the Cenotaph (Picture: Guy Smallman)
Once again, the state is cracking down on pro-Palestine protesters. Two activists protested at the Cenotaph memorial in central London, holding signs saying, “Stop arming Israel,” and, “Never again for anyone” on Monday.
They spray painted, “180,000 killed” on the pavement in front of the memorial. Within an hour, police swept in and arrested them.
The arrests didn’t happen in isolation—but in the context of a wider suppression of protests. We saw this week the government’s “extremism tsar” John Woodcock—the Lord Walney—demonise all those supporting Palestinian rights.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Woodcock claimed that there was a pattern of intimidation “created by aggressive pro-Palestine activists”.
He said activists used intimidation as “a core electoral strategy to try and either get candidates defeated or bully candidates into submission”. Woodcock’s vision is a world where politicians are completely insulated from protest. He embodies an arrogance of the ruling class that doesn’t want to publicly held to account.
And there’s hardly anything “extreme” about demanding your MP opposes Israel’s genocide.
What is intimidating is police arresting protesters for thought crime, before they have even taken action.
The state will sentence five Just Stop Oil protesters this Thursday for planning to protest against climate catastrophe.
The five were set to disrupt the M25 by climbing the motorway gantries in November 2022. The jury found them guilty after Judge Christopher Hehir removed all legal defences and ruled that the climate crisis was “irrelevant” to the trial.
He also indicated that they face lengthy prison sentences. Four of the five refused to comply with the judge’s direction to finish their evidence without explaining their response for taking action. On day two of the trial 11 people protesting outside were also attested for alleged contempt.
It’s an outrage that the activists, including Extinction Rebellion founder Roger Hallam, have been found guilty.
It is another sign of the state’s clampdown against climate protesters—and the use of new laws that criminalise activists even if they haven’t carried out action.
We all need to defend the right to protest—and hound politicians.
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