Four hundred and seventy-four people were arrested yesterday for holding up placards indicating that they oppose genocide and the actions of those who support it.<\/p>\n
They were accused of being terrorists.<\/p>\n
The vast majority were put on immediate bail. In itself, that makes a mockery of the accusation of terrorism. By definition, terrorism is so serious that nothing but a custodial sentence could be justified.<\/p>\n
These people think genocide is wrong. So should we all. But apparently, our government does not. Our government is still openly supporting it by supplying arms and assistance to the fascist regime in Israel.<\/p>\n
The people who should have been arrested for supplying that support include Yvette Cooper, who said of yesterday's protests<\/a>:<\/p>\n Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That is a blatant lie.<\/p>\n Worse, she is making the law look ridiculous. No one denies that Palestine Action caused criminal action to planes recently. And no one is saying they should not be charged for that. They knew the risk they took. But their crime was no more serious, and might be seen as considerably more moderate than that of the Suffragettes, of whom it has been reported<\/a>:<\/p>\n S<\/span>hortly before 4am on the morning of 11 April 1913 the fire brigade was called to the Nevill Athletic Ground in Tunbridge Wells, where the cricket pavilion was ablaze. \u201cThe fire was discovered by the groundsman in charge of the ground, who lives near, and who had lately been instructed to be vigilant in watching the place,\u201d reported the Kent & Sussex Courier. Firefighters could not save the building, which had been used to store a large quantity of tarred netting, basically an extensive collection of conjoined candle wicks. Nearby, they found a photograph of Emmeline Pankhurst and according to some accounts several copies of the suffragette newspaper Votes for Women. Within hours papers were reporting a \u201csuffragist outrage\u201d.<\/p>\n It was not an isolated incident. In the same year railway stations, golf clubhouses, boat and tennis clubs, newspaper offices, the homes of uncooperative MPs and even the tea house at Kew Gardens were targeted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Cooper has publicly supported the Suffragettes' achievements, won, as she would have it, through acts of terrorism. Her hypocrisy knows no bounds. Or rather, it has got bounds: when it comes to support for illegal Zionist genocide, no criticism is allowed.<\/p>\n\n