Campaigners sound the alarm over Kwabena’s prosecution
BLM UK, Netpol and Andrew Feinstein back our statement
Campaigners have slammed the decision to prosecute Kwabena Devonish on terrorism charges for a comment allegedly made at a Palestine solidarity protest in November last year. Black Lives Matter UK, protest rights watchdog Netpol and former South African MP Andrew Feinstein, who is an author on conflict and the arms trade, are backing the Justice for Kwabena campaign statement.
BLM UK told Justice for Kwabena:
“Black Lives Matter UK stands in solidarity with Kwabena and all subjected to this campaign of intimidation towards anti-genocide activists.
It is not only ridiculous that the police raided a young Black woman's home over an alleged comment from 3 months prior, it is policing as predatory punishment. The intent here is to scare this Black woman and all people of colour into submission. They want to stop our opposition to crimes against humanity.
These arrests reveal this government's actual priorities.
The government wants us to be silent while they sell arms to Israel who continue to bomb hospitals and refugee camps.
At least they are consistent. Those who opposed apartheid South Africa were also arrested for opposing the racist regime. Policing has always been racialised and violent. This is why BLMUK is clear in our opposition. This is racist bullying in defence of genocidal violence. But this intimidation will not work, apartheid fell in South Africa and it will in Palestine.
Kwabena will not be silenced, we will not be silenced. As night follows day, we know despite the intimidation, despite the overwhelming use of force. Palestine will be free. We will be free.
FREE FREE PALESTINE”
Kevin Blowe, Campaigns Coordinator for Netpol, which monitors protest public order policing, said:
“Our report "In Our Millions", published in May, highlighted the increasing use of anti-terrorism measures to target expressions of solidarity with Palestine as markers of radicalisation, particularly targeting racially minoritised protesters. This has included a very broad interpretation of what constitutes “glorifying” proscribed organisations. Many of these arrests for terrorism offences were reactive following online “doxing” and social media-fuelled complaints from political opponents of the demonstrations.
As the full horror of the genocide in Gaza has become increasingly impossible to comprehend over the last year, there have been no legal sanctions or threats of arrest for those in Britain vigorously defending Israel's massacre of civilians. But at the same time, anti-terrorism policing has made it almost impossible to even talk about Palestinians' rights to resist their subjugation in the face of the international community's absolute refusal to intervene on their behalf. This is a shocking attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression.”
Author and anti-arms trade campaigner Andrew Feinstein said:
"The use of terrorism charges against Palestine solidarity activists in this way is a dangerous, undemocratic action, making Britain a more authoritarian place. It is intended to clamp down on crucial political discourse and silence voices speaking out against war crimes and their enablement by our government. Kwabena’s fight for justice must get the widest possible support”
>> Add your name to the solidarity statement here: https://www.change.org/justiceforkwabena