Richard Boyd Barrett: Hits British 'terror' tag on Palestine Action
Richard Boyd Barrett criticised the British government’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, arguing the move criminalises protest and support. He said people across Britain and the north of Ireland are being arrested, prosecuted and in some cases imprisoned for supporting Palestine Action and urged a parliamentary response.
He said that across Britain and the north of Ireland people are being arrested, prosecuted and in some cases imprisoned because they support Palestine action.
He described the British government’s designation of Palestine Action as a group campaigning against British complicity with the genocide that Israel is committing as a terrorist organisation and called that decision "absolutely outrageous."
He noted there is a protest this Saturday in Belfast in solidarity with Palestine Action. He also referenced an article by Sally Rooney in The Guardian about prisoners "being close enough to being tortured basically in British prisons" who are in custody awaiting trial.
He asked whether the Deputy would speak out against what he termed the British government’s decision to treat protesting against genocide as terrorism and addressed the question to Deputy Paddartouk. The exchange concluded with a promise to return to the matter another day and a note about having two and a half minutes remaining.
Allegations of arrests and prosecutions
He said that across Britain and the north of Ireland people are being arrested, prosecuted and in some cases imprisoned because they support Palestine action.
Designation framed as targeting protest - speaker's wording
He described the British government’s designation of Palestine Action as a group campaigning against British complicity with the genocide that Israel is committing as a terrorist organisation and called that decision "absolutely outrageous."
Solidarity protest and prison-condition concerns - Belfast
He noted there is a protest this Saturday in Belfast in solidarity with Palestine Action. He also referenced an article by Sally Rooney in The Guardian about prisoners "being close enough to being tortured basically in British prisons" who are in custody awaiting trial.
Request to the Deputy and parliamentary follow-up
He asked whether the Deputy would speak out against what he termed the British government’s decision to treat protesting against genocide as terrorism and addressed the question to Deputy Paddartouk. The exchange concluded with a promise to return to the matter another day and a note about having two and a half minutes remaining.
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Transcript
Across Britain and the north of Ireland, people are being arrested, prosecuted and in some cases imprisoned because they support Palestine action on the basis that the British government has outrageously designated Palestine action a group campaigning against British complicity with the genocide that Israel is committing as a terrorist organisation. It's absolutely outrageous. There's a protest this Saturday in Belfast as people stand in solidarity with it. I know Sally Rooney has written an article in The Guardian this week about prisoners being close enough to being tortured basically in British prisons who are in prison waiting trial on this. Will you speak out against the British government's outrageous decision to designate protesting against genocide as somehow terrorism? Deputy Paddartouk. Thank you Tisha for every time. That concludes the leaders' questions. I count for the British... Tisha's questions. Thank you Tisha. I will come back to you another day on that. I have two and a half minutes.