Protest is not terrorism

To: Chief Constables, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Crown Prosecution Service

As trade unionists and activists in the Palestine solidarity movement and beyond, we stand opposed to genocide and in solidarity with the campaign to reverse the proscription of Palestine Action as part of a broader campaign to defend the right to protest. We recognise the campaign against proscription as a vital part of opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which has received political, material, and military support from successive UK governments. This urgency remains unchanged by October’s ceasefire agreement, which Israel has violated with continued air strikes – one attack killing over 100 Palestinians – and by maintaining its prewar siege on the territory.

We demand that local police forces make no arrests against protestors exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly during the Lift the Ban protests in Aberystwyth, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Caerdydd (Cardiff), Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Gloucester, Lancaster, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Northampton, Norwich, Oxford, Sheffield, Truro between 18 and 29 November. We further call for the dropping of all charges against those previously arrested on Lift the Ban actions.

We will defend our rights to protest and express dissent which trade unions and movements for justice have won over two centuries of struggle and continue to fight for them in the face of the attempts by successive governments to roll them back.

We pledge to organise in our trade unions and communities to defend those facing court for peaceful protest – whether on spurious charges of “terrorism” or for other offences.

Sign this open letter here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/open-letter-no-more-arrests-for-peaceful-protest-against-the-ban-on-palestine-action/

Schedule of regional Lift the Ban protests

• Tuesday 18th – Gloucester, Truro, Nottingham, Northampton, Oxford, Leeds, Newcastle, Caerdydd (Cardiff), Aberystwyth, Edinburgh.
• Thursday 20th – London
• Saturday 22nd – London, Belfast
• Monday 24th – London
• Wednesday 26th – London.
• Saturday 29th
  • Bristol – College Green – BS1 5TJ
  • Birmingham – Chamberlain Square – B3 3DH (opposite museum & art gallery)
  • Exeter – Outside Central Station – Queen’s Street – EX4 3SB
  • Cambridge – Guildhall Place – Market Hill – CB2 3QL (opposite the market)
  • Sheffield – Cathedral – Church Street – S1 2ET (on the cathedral steps)
  • Lancaster – Outside Lancaster Castle – Castle Hill – LA1 1YN (next to the entrance)
  • Edinburgh – Queen Elizabeth House – Sibbald Walk – EH8 8FT
  • Caerdydd (Cardiff) – Tŷ William Morgan House – Central Square – CF10 1EP
  • Manchester – St Peter’s Square – M1 5AN (opposite the tram stop)
  • Norwich – Hay Hill, NR1 2QQ – Updated location

Total signatures (28 November) 1077 of which 686 are published below
Names are published alongside the closest city where a Lift the Ban action is taking place

Wales // Aberystwyth

Martin Ashby
Dominique Kimber
Benjamin Mathers
Dave Morgan
Patrick Owen
Karina Russell
Jamie Thomas, Unite
Maia Wells

Caerdydd (Cardiff)

Deana AL-ISMAIL, NHS
Gaynor Ball
Diane Cooper
Sarah Davies, Narberth Gaza Support Group
Deborah Davies
Suzanne De Celis
Roger Evans
Syd Foster
Jean Foster
Louise Gray
Nicholas Hind
Tareq Husein, Hospital
Jane Jenkins
Max Li-rocchi
El Litten
JN MacMahon
Viv Makin
Tasmin Nash
Alison O’Connor
Emmet O’Sullivan, Cardiff PSC
Kerry Pilborough
Alex Rice
Matthew Shephard, UNISON (pc)
Nick Townsend
Alexandra Tsamados
Margaret Vicuna
Zaineb Williams
Anne Wood
Steve Wride, PSC
Angie Zelter

Scotland // Edinburgh

Anne Campbell
Peter Clapham, Unison
Trina Clinkscale
Brian Corrigan, None
Nadine Edwards
Hussein Ezzedine, ASLEF
Janet Fenton, Secure Scotland
Joan Forehand
Ross Gibson
Linda Gibson
Bob Goupillot, Retired
Oriole Hall
Taylor Hill
Carol Johnson
Adrian Johnson
Naomi Junnor
Gill Lee
Lois Legendre
David MacFadyen, Unison
Jim Malone, FBU
John McCartney
angela mccormick, Eis FELA
Margaret McCutcheon
John McFadden
Sara McGregor, Unison
Keir Mckechnie, Unison
Donald McKenzie, Unison
Cian McMahon
Eleanor Miller, XR Glasgow
Jon Molyneux, Scottish Green Party
Bill Newman, Unite Retired members branch Glasgow
W M Oswald
Thia Sagherian-Dickey, UCU
Andrew Shaw, Unison, Catholic Church

South West // Bristol

Sarah Bailey
john davies
Rocio Diaz, PSC
Árainn Gawker
Lou Gray
Talulla Harris
ana Heyatawin
angela hill
Surinder Kaur
Ricky Knight, North Devon District Council
Anna Mitchell
Zarria Phillips, Unite
Jonathon Porritt

Exeter

Sian Aubrey
Catherine Bearfield
Cecily Blyther, UCU
David Clinch, NEU
Elizabeth Clinch
Joe Collins
Karen Endicott
Stephanie Foster, RCN
Brian Garman
Tricia Goddard
Rachel Graham
Celia Hastie
Mark Haworth-Booth, North Devon Council
Rosemary Haworth-Booth
Stephen Jarvis
Elizabeth Knight
David Langford, Aeu
Mary LIGHT
Lucy MacArthur, Your Party
Paul Miller
Susan Monk
Regine Ray
Jeremy Sims, Unite and PSC, Member
Roger Spettigue, Unison
Tony Staunton, UCU
Siobhan Strode, Unite
John Sweeney, YP
Elizabeth Wood, Unite Community

Truro

Perdita Heller
Chloe Stevens, IWGB

North West // Lancaster

Henry Adams
SARAH BADROCK, Unison
Ann Brookes
Caroline Cattermole
Gina Dowding, North Lancashire Green Party
Helen Edwards, Health Care – NHS
Rosalind Faith-Strutt, Unite
Charlotte Finnerty, NEU
david fleet
Emily Gent
Anne Haywood
Emily Heath, North Lancs Green Party
Geraldine Holland
Sharon Homer
Peter Howlett
Khaldoun RJ Jayousi
PAULINE JONES
Suzanne Jones
Gillian Kelly
David Killick
Robin Le mare
Charles Littlechild
Sarah McGowan
Emma Mead, Unite
Abigail Mills
Eileen Mullervy, NEU
Lydia Pearson, Lancaster PSC
Barry Powell
Anna Prall, SUTR, Palestine Solidarity
Susan Reid
Catherine Rennie-Nash, Defend Our Juries
Gisela Renolds
Ann Rochester, Unite the Union
Nicola Rush
Michele Seymour
Kate Threadgold
Helen Tucker, NEU
Dr Fay Tuffen
Kate Walford
Eleanor Whiteford, None
Alastor Zurkiewicz

Manchester

Taibat Omobolanle Adebayo, Unison
Renate Aspden
Dawn Aspinall, Unison
Afzal Bhamjee
Chedd Billington, GMRC
Jeanne Boyle, Greater Manchester Unite Community Branch
Andrea Bullivant
Darren Burling
June Burnett, Manchester healthcare
Sue Caldwell, GM Unite Community Branch
Alison Campbell, UNISON Salford City
Lana Campbell
Allan Challenger, Unison
Saduf Chaudhri
Artemis Christinaki, UMUCU
Terry Clarke, MPA
Wendy Cocks, Unison
Peter Craine
Anne Crawford
Briege Cullinane
James Davies
Deborah Densham
Juliet Eastham
Juliet Eastham
Pia Feig, UNISON GM Mental Health branch
Miranda Forward, Unite
Philip Gilligan, South Lakeland Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Sophia Godfrey
Helen Griffiths
Sharon Hanley-Hewitt
Megan Hastings, UNISON
Linda Heap, Southport Community Independents
Deborah Hind
Mark Hollinrake, PCS
Denise Howkins
Gary Howkins
Rosemary Kate Hughes, Unison
Bee Hughes, UCU
Zoe Hutton
Judith Instone
Diana Jeater, UCU
Laura Jones
Kai Xuan Lim
Richard Lund
Kevin Malone
Catherine Markey
Fiona McDavid
Fangda Mei
Jenny Melbourne, NEU
Andrea Michael, Unite
John mulligan, Unite
John Murphy, UNITE
Vernetta O’Loughlin, N a
Kevin Osborne, CWU
Stuart Penwarden, Unite Finance and Legal
Liz Quinn
Karen Reissmann, Unison
Graham Richards, UNISON
Chris Roberts, Trafford4Palestine
Adam Rose
Jemma Russell
Joyce Rutherford, Unite Community
Lisa Ryan
Smina Sadiq
Pat Sanchez
Anne Saxon, RS21
Lynda Sergeant, UNITE
Jo Shuttleworth
Stephen Slator
Gail Steward
Jane Touil, Extinction Rebellion Rochdale
Anne Tucker, Unite community
Chris Waldon
Linda Walker, High Peak Against Racism

Yorkshire // Leeds

Gabriella Alberti, University of Leeds
Gill Barn, Unison
Stella Barnes, Artists Union England
rich bell, UCU
Mick Calvert, Unite Community
Mick Calvert, Unite Community
beth cassani, UCU
Ellie Clement, Commonweal Trust
Andrew Cooper
Ruth Daly, Leeds UCU
James Dickins, ucu
Tracey Farrar, Unite Community
Alan Fenton, RCN
Lynne Fordyce
Gillian Gillespie, Unison
Anne Goggin
Chris Green
Ian Greenwood, Unite
Asif Gul, Y
Kate Hardy, UCU
Emily Hart, UCU
Lou Harvey, University of Leeds
Rosemary Hedges
Simon Hewitt, UCU
Ben Hills, Unison
Nick Hodgkinson
Karen How
Madheea Iqbal
Beverly Jessop, Unison
Ian Jobson
June Jones, Unison
Pat Jones, Unison
Marie Kenny
Hannah Kent
Roisin Keogh, University of leeds
Sally Kincaid, Unite Community/NEU
Anja Komatar, UCU University of Leeds
Nely Konstantinova, UCU
Deborah Maccoby
Rodger Martin, Retired
Fraser McQueen, University of Leeds
Sally Morgan, Yorkshire and Humber Climate Justice Coalition
Marc Neal, W Yorks Jews against Israeli Apartheid
Ian Nichol, Unite Community
Maria Perez, Retired
MEGAN JAMES POVEY, UCU
Fiaz Rashid
Stefania Robinson
Ellen Robottom, Unite, Campaign Against Climate Change
Jack Rutherford, UCU
Mark Sayers, Unite community
M Shafique
Noreen Shah, NUT
Syra Shakir, LEEDS TRINITY UNIVERSITY
Ingrid Sharp, UCU
Omar Shefta
Rebecca Simmons
Devinder Singh
Steven Skinner, UCU
Margaret Smith, Unite Community
Iason Sofos, The University of Leeds
Susan Talbot, Unison
John Taylor, UCU
Ellie Terry, Gmb
Margery Toller
Haworth Towler, University of Leeds
Frances Turner, Individual
Helen Tytherleigh
Gwen Vardigans, Unite Community
richard waddington
Rosamund Walsh, Retired
Sarah Waters, University of Leeds
Janet Watson, UCU
Jenny Whelan
Andy Wood, UCU
Maria Yeaman

Sheffield

Thomas Archer
George Arthur, Barnsley TUC
Sean Ashton
Jayne Atherton, Unite
Anne Barr
Geoffrey Bottoms, Unite
Maxine Bowler, Unite cyp & Nfp NE403/5 branch
Chris Brace, Unite / York PSC
Michelle Brown
Emily Burkett
David Campbell, Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Sarah Choonara
Owen Clayton, UCU, Vice Chair
Jon Cowley, Unite
Joao Craveiro
Diane Dale
Peter Darlington, Retired
Andy Davies
James Dimond
Zak Dimond
Alexi Dimond, Sheffield Green Party and Unite the Union
Ciara Ellis, Unite South Yorkshire
Maleiki Haybe, Sheffield Green Party
Simon Jenkins, Unite NFP sheffield
Leonie Kapadia, Unite
ANDREW KING
Bernard Little
Tessa Lupton, Green Party
Toby Mallinson
Angela Martin, UCU
Martin Mayer
James Meehan
Roy Morris
Minesh Parekh, Sheffield City Council
Jenny Patient, Unite
Julie Pearn, NEU
John Rogers, Unison
Jawed Siddiqi, The Monitoring Group
Marion Speed, Unison
Phil Swift
Amanda Wells
Graham Wroe, TelltheTruthSheffield.org

London

George Andrews
John Stuart Archbold, Universities & Colleges Union
Zahir Aziz, None
Soodabeh Balali
sharon banzhaf
Michelle Barnes, Extinction Rebellion
Dean Battell, RMT
Jennifer Bell, NEU and HDPSC
Amanda Bentham, National Education Union, PSC, Member
Zaid Bin Zafar
Justin Blakebrough
Ann Bliss, Green Party member
Carla Bloom, Unite
Keith Bradley
Ray Campbell, UCU
Rah Carter
Alan Carter
Rebecca Cartwright
Laura Clarke, Unison
Thembisa Cochrane
Sarah Cox, NEU
Graham Cox
Stephanie David
Robert Day
Wojciech Dmochowski, UCU
Joseph Dobson, JKG London
Will Dodds, Green Party
Gil Doron
Pippa Dowswell, Neu
Nadia Edmond, UCU
Philip edwards, Unite Retired
Daniela Esposito, Defend our juries
Priscilla Eyles
Giulio Fella, UCU, Member
David Fellows, Unison – East Sussex Area Branch
Sylvia Finzi
Shenai Fiore, UoW Student Staff Solidarity with Palestine, Student
Martin Fisher
Ayesha Garrett
Danny GAZZI
Jay Ginn
Rodney Godfrey, FBU (out of trade member)
Matt Goldborough
Mel Gould, Brighton & Hove Jews Against The 0ccupation
Lissy Greenfield
Yvonne Hall
Sarah M. Hall
Peter Hallward, UCU (Kingston), member
Dave Hampton
Susan Hampton
William Harrington-Roberts, IWGB
Yvonne Hayward
David Holloway, Power In Our Hands
Natalie Howard, UNITE
Sacha Ismail, UNISON and FBU member
Hilary James, GMB
Helen Johnson
Ann Jungman
LAURA Katesmark
Ameerzeb Khan, Dwp
Tariq Khawaja, Prospect
Mary Kitson, RCM
Agnes Kory
Ann Kramer, NUJ; PSC
Barbara Labiejko, UCU
Steve Lawless
Anna Livingstone, Unite the Union and BMA
Elizabeth Lloyd
Diana M Neslen, Unite the Community
Hassina Malik, UNISON
Amina Mangera, Unite Community
Claire Marris
Molly Martin Eames
Gary McFarlane, NUJ London Magazine Branch, Media Workers for Palestine
Steve McKenzie, Unite Greenwich Lewisham and Bexley Community branch
Layla Mohamed
Sarah Morgan
Conor Muller
Sally O’Donnell
Deborah O’Farrell
Lara Pawson
Noah Payne
Kerry Pickett, Brighton & Hove City Council
Dorothea Pio
Saba Qureshi, Independent Activist
Ali Raiss-Tousi, Birkbeck College
Gwydion Rhys
Susanna Riviere, Wimbledon Quakers
Kim Roper, Unite
Miriam Scharf, Newham NEU
Amanda Sebestyen, jews fpr justice for palestinians
Cath Senker, Na’amod
Greg Shields
Sasha Simic, USDAW C133 Central Books branch
Sue Simmonds
Keith Simpson, UCU
Thisha Sivakumar
Deborah Stack, Unite
Paul Stephens, Met Police
Dave Stokes
Anthony Stoll
Helen Stollar
Martin Strivens
Keston Sutherland
Gian Marco Tesei, UCU
Annete Thomas, Islington Pensioners Forum
Bronwen Thomas
Giovanni Todeschini, Bectu
Ian Townson, Unite
Katy Treverton
Abeda Uddin, GMB
Roberto Veneziani
Maz Vivier, Unison
Hazel Waters
Oliver Watson
Peter WICKENDEN, Unite
Richard Wistreich, UCU
Margaret Woldu
Tristram Wyatt, UCU
Vicky Wyer

North East // Newcastle

Marika Asgari, UCU Newcastle
Helen Caney, Unite
Harris Dousemetzis, Durham University
Alice Finden, UCU
Silvie Fisch
James Hutchinson, Gateshead NEU
John Metson John Metson, Co Durham PSC
Emily Jones
Frank Kennedy, Climate Action Durham
MAJA KUTLACA, UCU
Thembi Luckett
Chris Spence, USDAW
Sara Uckelman, Durham UCU
Pam Wortley

East Midlands // Northampton

Zoe Collins
Hilary Haynes, CSP
Tina Matthew
Shaylee Tosney

Nottingham

Jeni Acelas, Unite
Karen Bannochie
Kiran Chudasama, Leicester Palestine solidarity campaign
Jessica Cooke
Stephen Flaherty
S Gartland
Oliver Gould
Kate Hubbard
C Humphreys, Unison
Carla m obrien
Angie Mindel
Colleen Molloy
Andrew Reeves
Prakash Ross
Stephen Wagg
Gail White, PSC
Caren Wildin, Unite Community

South East // Oxford

Halima Brewer
Dylan Carver, Oxford UCU
Ellie Cawte
Chrissie Charvill, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Oona Ellis, Lecturer
David Ewing, Oxford University UCU
Sarah Hoey
Emma Jones
Ian McKendrick, Oxfordshire UNISON Health Branch (pc)
Doke Ostle
Nick Owen
Malcolm Parker
Paola Quevedo, Unison
Andreea Raslescu, UCU Oxford
Maria Trapatseli
John Walker
Katherine Zhou, Oxford UCU

UK-wide signatories

Annah AbdulGhaffar, Masjidullah
Mark Abel, UCU
Taraneh Ahmadi-Parker
Karen Allison, Green Party
Philip Arrowsmith
Jane Ashbridge
David Ashton
samantha Barnsley-Bridger, UCU
Trevor Batchelor, Unite Community
Rukshana Begum
bernard bellingham
Ray Brassier
Rachel Brereton
Lesley Bryan
Prabhat Chauhan
Dinah Clarke
Rob Crisp, Musicians Union
Nigel Crossley
Erika Curren
Ginny Davies
Mike Davies
Mike Dennis, United Reformed Church
Pauline Devine
Stephen Eastham
John Evans
Nigel FOUNTAIN, Nuj
Alison Freshney
Mike Glover
allen goody
Isaac Gray
Dorothy Griggs
Rupert Gude
Dai Gwynne, G Squared Architecture
Amba Hale
Susan Hampton
Thasnim Haque
Roger Harrison, Nasuwt
Sebastian Harrison
Simon Hester, Hastings Trades Union Council
Samaira Hussain
Patrick Jeffery
Claire Jenkins
Jamie Johnson
Jo Jones
Michael Kennard, Unite
Firdos Khan, UCU
Chris Kirk, Unite
Nicholas Lawrence, University of Warwick
Heather Lawrence, Hastings Palestine Solidarity
Jenny Lennon-Wood, PCS
Giovanna Lewis, Unite community
Fred Lindop, UCU
Adam Litchfield
Frances Love, CPSC
Nasreen Mahmood, Stoke Palestine solidarity
Kate Mann
Stuart Markless
Anne Marr
Paul Martyn
Lynn McAllister
Una McCartan, UNISON, Member
Akhtar Mehmood
Michael Merchel
Bruce Moore
Martin Mowforth, –
Orla Murray
osman nasar, Drumshack
Jason Noble
Jane O’Donnell
Daniel O’Gorman, UCU
Debby Plummer, Green Party
Harry Pratt
Ana Redondo, University of Bedfordshire
James Rider
Bronwen Roberts
Ben Rogaly, UCU
Alix Shaw
Jo Shippam
Wendy Sindall
Claudio Solano
Samuel Solomon
Corinna Sorrell
Julia Subur
Geraldine Swift, NHS
Nicholas Tulloh
Gwen Vardigans, Unite Community
Tommy Williams
Sean Wood
Suzanne Wright
Alma Yaniv
Safyana Younas

Sign this open letter here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/open-letter-no-more-arrests-for-peaceful-protest-against-the-ban-on-palestine-action/