The Criminalisation of Solidarity

Today in Court: The Criminalisation of Solidarity

By Gordon Dimmack | July 21, 2025

Today, as the High Court weighs the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group, the line between peaceful protest and criminal suspicion has never looked thinner. Or more absurd.

In recent days, a video surfaced showing police officers in Kent questioning a woman for holding a Palestinian flag and a sign reading: “Free Gaza. Israel is committing genocide.” Their justification? She allegedly ticked “2 out of 10” indicators used to justify suspicion of terrorist affiliation. Yes, really.

Kent Police later released a statement doubling down on the encounter, saying the officers were simply “applying the law.” And if the law says your sign is suspect, then your intent becomes an investigation.

This all unfolds in the shadow of a major judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice. The case? Whether Palestine Action—a direct-action group targeting arms dealers—can lawfully be labelled terrorists under UK legislation.

Kate Nash: Protest on the Main Stage

Pop artist Kate Nash added fuel to the fire, appearing on stage in a protest dress created with artist Tia O’Donnell. In a now-viral TikTok post, she challenged Dan Jarvis, the Minister for State Security, who recently claimed:

 

“Proscribing Palestine Action will not impinge on people’s right to protest.”

Nash wasn’t buying it. Citing the Kent police incident directly, she asked:

 

“Do I now tick 2 out of 10 boxes too?”

Her challenge wasn’t rhetorical. It was an indictment of a system that claims to preserve protest while criminalising the people actually doing it.

A Second Front: Protestors Silenced in Scotland Too

While the High Court in London weighs whether Palestine Action should be branded terrorists, a courtroom in Edinburgh is doing just that — right now — to three women who smashed through a fence at a Scottish arms factory.

According to journalist Craig Murray, who delivered a speech outside the court this morning, the women were held incommunicado for five days, with only a single call allowed at the start of their detention. The police then blocked further contact — refusing to tell the women that KC-level legal support and crowds of allies had gathered to help them.

“They were held incommunicado for five days… not allowed to speak to their lawyers, not allowed to speak to their families, not allowed to receive mail. That is disappearance.”
– Craig Murray

Initially charged with minor “malicious mischief,” the state quietly escalated the case: by 2:50am, the women were charged under Section 57 of the Terrorism Act — a provision typically reserved for acts related to explosives, plots, or aiding terrorist organisations.

 

“They were originally charged with malicious mischief… then at ten to three in the morning, the Crown changed the charge to terrorism under Section 57.”
– Craig Murray (2:00–2:25)

Their alleged crime? Damaging a weapons facility and opposing genocide.

This case underscores the broader pattern: activists labelled as terrorists, isolated from public support, and tried under laws written for violent extremism—not civil disobedience.

Now Even Speeches Are a Crime

Shortly after Craig Murray addressed supporters outside the Edinburgh court, fellow activist Mick Napier also gave a speech condemning the charges against the Leonardo 3. Moments later, he was arrested by police as he left the protest.

Napier is a long-time pro-Palestinian campaigner and founding member of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. His arrest for speaking out adds a new layer of authoritarianism to today’s events — where even words, spoken outside a courthouse, are enough to justify police action.

The Verdict That Will Shape the Future

At the time of writing, the court has not yet delivered its ruling. But the implications are clear:

 
• If upheld, the proscription of Palestine Action sets a chilling precedent. Protest becomes terrorism by association.
 
• If overturned, it’s a blow to the government’s narrative and a rare win for civil liberties in a country sliding toward authoritarianism.

We’re expecting updates throughout the day, including reports from journalist Mohamed El-Maazi, who is covering the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice for Craig Murray’s blog.

This Isn’t About Security. It’s About Silence.

The truth is this: Palestine Action hasn’t killed anyone. Its members target property, not people. Their goal is disruption of arms shipments, not terror. Compare that to the British government arming a state accused by the UN of war crimes, and you start to see who the real criminals are.

When the police need a checklist to determine whether your politics are illegal, you no longer live in a free society. You live in a managed narrative. A theatre of legality masking a war on dissent.