'Right to Protest' rally in Derry
'Civil rights activists from the 1960s will be joined by a (slightly) younger generation in refusing to accept the idea that taking direct action to oppose genocide is a crime or could be described as 'terrorism' - Eamonn McCann
Derry's weekly 'Defend the Right to Protest' rally will take place in Waterloo Place.
The rally will be held at 3.00pm on Saturday (October 4) as part of a "mass defiance across these islands of the banning of Palestine Action" according to spokesperson, Eamonn McCann.
Mr McCann added: "The October 5, 1968 Derry civil rights march was banned and anyone who supported it dubbed a 'terrorist' under the Special Powers Act. The proscription of Palestine Action under the 2000 Terrorism Act feels like a re-run.
"Here in Derry at 3pm in Waterloo Place, we will be continuing our weekly action in defence of the right to protest. As in other weeks, civil rights activists from the 1960s will be joined by a (slightly) younger generation in refusing to accept the idea that taking direct action to oppose genocide is a crime or could be described as 'terrorism'.
"Palestine Action has been proscribed under the Terrorism Act for direct action which they tell us was inspired by Derry’s Raytheon campaign. In the course of that campaign, 23 people were charged with a range of offences including aggravated burglary and criminal damage. All were found not guilty by Belfast juries who accepted that we were trying to stop Israeli war crimes being committed in Lebanon in 2006 and in Gaza in 2009.
"Over the last two years, we have seen war crimes – such as using starvation as a weapon – which were unimaginable in 2006 or 2009. We have watched a genocide played out on our screens," said Mr McCann.
He added: "Those trying to stop more arms reaching Israel should be cheered. Instead of charging Palestine Action activists with similar offences to the Raytheon campaigners, they are now being charged under the Terrorism Act which means they have fewer rights.
"We can see this in the way that the Filton 24 are being held in custody awaiting trial, some for over 18 months so far with no sign of a trial. In the North, we know this as 'internment by remand'.
"This Saturday, come and support those defying the proscription of Palestine Action at the same time as others are defying it in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Totnes."