Protest is not Terrorism

The Filton 4 will be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday 12 June. The judge, Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson, is almost certain to attach a draconian “terrorism connection” to their sentences, even though they were not charged, tried or convicted under terrorism laws. A last-minute motion to remove judge Johnson from the case will be heard on Monday 8 June.

The four Filton defendants are highly principled non-violent peace activists. They are people who refused to remain bystanders to crimes against humanity, and who resolved instead to act directly on our shared obligation to prevent genocide. To condemn and imprison them now as “terrorists” is both a grossly authoritarian abuse of power and an exercise in pure defamation. Nothing like this has ever happened before in the UK and so this case may set a very ominous and far-reaching precedent. If an ordinary act of criminal damage to property can be reframed as “terrorism” because it was motivated by clear moral and political principles, then all kinds of conscientious protest are now vulnerable to state repression.

Israel’s genocide and annexations continue to escalate, and more than twenty other Filton and Brize Norton defendants are still awaiting trial.

The Free the Filton 25 campaign group is therefore urging everyone who is within reach to the Woolwich court to protest this miscarriage of justice, to demand the immediate release of the Filton 4, and the lifting of the ban on Palestine Action (a ban the high court already ruled to be “unlawful,” back on 13 February). People will be gathering outside the court from around 10am. More information is posted at https://filtonactionists.com/.

As part of this protest at the Woolwich court on Friday 12 June, Defend Our Juries is organising another defiant sign-holding action. Participants will hold signs that read ‘Saving lives is not terrorism, I support Palestine Action.’ There’s more information, along with times of open calls and a very useful and thorough action briefing document at https://defendourjuries.net/open-calls/. Sign-holders will be gathering at 12:30, with the action scheduled to start at 1pm.

If for any reason you are unable to risk arrest by holding such a sign, but would still like to support the action, PNT is helping to organise a witness circle, to gather as many people as possible around the sign-holders. If you would like to join this circle please sign up for it here https://actionnetwork.org/events/witness-circle-woolwich-crown-court-12-june?source=direct_link&; this will also give you the option to join a temporary Signal chat to help coordinate things on the day.

Participants in this witness circle are very strongly encouraged to bring placards and/or union banners or similar, to help make the strongest possible show of support for the action. Please also encourage friends and colleagues to join you. If enough people show up to make it so, 12 June could prove to a decisive day. Please make every effort to join us!