Protest is not terrorism

As the organisers of the trade union delegation to the Witness Circle at the Lift the Ban action on 4 October, we believe that Defend our Juries is right to highlight the contradictions in the call from the Metropolitan Police and the Home Secretary for the postponement of the protest. It is the politically-motivated policy of mass arrests for peaceful protest which is a drain on police resources, not the actions of the organisers. We robustly defend their rights to peaceful freedom of expression and assembly and urge the Metropolitan Police to respect these by choosing not to arrest and charge people taking part.

Alongside Defend our Juries, we condemn the horrific antisemitic attack on worshippers at a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday this week. The trade unions represented in our delegation have clear policies rejecting antisemitism and all other forms of racism, and proud traditions of organising to stop the spread of these poisonous ideas. We concur with Manchester Trades Union Council which stated: 

“We call on all in Manchester to come together and reject all forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism. We want a society free from violence and where everyone is free to practice their religion in peace.” 

At a time when hateful rhetoric targeting refugees and migrants is being stoked by far-right and fascist politicians, trade unions must stand for unity across communities and between people of different faiths. 

The Palestine solidarity movement in all its forms has a crucial role to play in building an anti-racist society. The movement’s vibrancy and creativity, its work to educate people about Palestinian culture and art and its success in making visible the scale of public opposition to the intensifying genocide helps to push back against the anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia which are all too common among media narratives. 

Antisemitism can have no place within such a movement as this runs counter to the anti-racist character of the Palestinian struggle for liberation from apartheid. Jewish activists are an integral part of the Palestine solidarity movement as attested by the presence of Jewish organisations in the Jewish Bloc on the national marches for Palestine, the role played by Jewish trade unionists in organising our trade union delegations and the strong condemnation by Jewish organisations of the proscription of Palestine Action. 

The reason we are taking part in the Witness Circle on Saturday is because we are opposed to repression of people peacefully expressing their opposition to genocide and their support for a non-violent direct action group. The UN and has found that the Israeli state is committing the racist crimes of apartheid and genocide against Palestinians and we believe it is therefore the urgent duty of the trade union movement as a whole to challenge this authoritarian crackdown. We continue to call for immediate sanctions against Israel, the halt of all weapons deliveries and war supplies and the breaking of the siege on Gaza. Unison General Secretary Christine McAnea was right to say at Labour Party Conference: 

“Why can’t we, and those other countries that have recognised Palestine send fleets of boats loaded with food and medical supplies right onto the shores of Gaza? We can’t continue to watch from the sidelines in horror as people are being slaughtered.”

We believe when governments fail to act, it is up to us as trade unionists to do what is right and necessary to stop genocide. We applaud the actions of trade unions in Italy and elsewhere who have organised general strikes and walkouts to shut down Israel’s military supply chain and condemn the attack on the flotilla bringing aid to Gaza. Our trade unions should be doing the same. 

The stronger and more united our movements are in confronting state-backed racism and repression, the harder it is for division and hatred to take hold in society. Trade unions have a vital role to play in this process which is why we are here today and why we will be supporting the workplace day of action for Palestine on 9 October and joining the national demonstration for Palestine on 11th October next weekend as well.