An 83-year-old retired priest has been arrested in Britain for defying a controversial new ban on the activist group Palestine Action, sparking widespread outrage over what critics call a severe blow to freedom of expression.
Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, was detained early Saturday after holding a placard in public that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action," reports Anadolu Agency.
She was among at least 27 people arrested nationwide for acts of defiance against the government’s decision to designate Palestine Action a terror organization.
The Home Office’s ban, which came into force just after midnight on Saturday, makes it a criminal offence to belong to, express support for, or even publicly endorse the group, carrying penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
The move follows Palestine Action’s admission that its activists damaged two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton on June 20, during a protest aimed at disrupting UK military links to Israel.
This marks the first time the UK has used anti-terror laws to outlaw a non-violent protest group, after a last-minute attempt to block the ban failed in the High Court on Friday.
The crackdown has provoked fierce criticism from civil liberties groups, hundreds of lawyers, prominent cultural figures, and UN experts, who have branded the ban “draconian.”
Palestine Action has condemned the decision, describing it as “an attempt to usher in a dystopian nightmare that criminalizes thousands of people overnight.” The group said it is seeking an urgent appeal to halt the ban and plans to apply for permission on July 21 to launch a full judicial review aimed at overturning the order.