Mr Ainsworth, the incident at Brize Norton was not merely flinging some red paint around. Perhaps you should read our MP's detailed letter as to why she voted with the Government to proscribe Palestine Action: 'I fully recognise the strength of feeling about the situation in Palestine and the urgent need for peaceful, lawful advocacy. I spent 20 years organising peaceful and protests on many issues and value the right to peaceful, non-violent direct action very highly. Many campaigns were only won because a group of people were prepared to go further than others in their tactics. I fully respect the right to protest. But there is a limit to this.When I first heard about this proposal I was concerned and have researched it, spoken with Ministers, and read the objections from several organisations. I would not support it if it was not justified and I did not trust the threat assessment. As a result, when the Government brought in the motion to proscribe organisations in Parliament on 2nd July, I voted for it.Palestine Action Campaign’s actions have intentionally put them into a very different category. I have conducted many trainings for protesters on the use of non-violent actions and I know that Palestine Action Campaign deliberately chose these tactics.They have decided to repeatedly use unlawful tactics, including breaking into a military base, RAF Brize Norton, on Friday 20 June and causing damage of £30 million. It has been dismissed as merely throwing red paint, but was in fact a coordinated act of sabotage involving crowbars and deliberate damage to military aircraft.The Home Office has assessed that the group’s activities have become more aggressive since 2024, with members increasingly prepared to use violence to achieve their aims.This is targeted specifically at Palestine Action Campaign’s methods - not at those campaigning for Palestinian rights through peaceful and legal means. The right to protest and speak out on international issues must always be protected, but it’s not without boundaries.This decision has not been taken lightly and only against these three groups. The Home Office has judged that these groups now meet the legal threshold for proscription based on their recent actions.This is the statement from the Home Office:‘National security is the first duty of any Government. In a democracy, the public must be safe, our critical infrastructure must be protected, and no one should face intimidation for expressing their views. The UK has a proud tradition of peaceful protest and free speech.Our children learn about the leaders of protest movements of the past, who fought against injustice, against poverty, and against war.But we also have strong laws for when the actions of organisations cross the line into threatening national security or committing acts of violence against people. That is why this week, the Government will add three more organisations to the list of groups proscribed in our country: the Maniacs Murder Cult, Palestine Action and The Russian Imperial Movement.These are very different groups, which we are banning for different reasons—but each meets the legal threshold that has applied for a quarter of a century under the Terrorism Act – and based on a robust statutory process with strong security advice, we are acting now to protect national security and keep our country safe.The Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement are Extreme Right-Wing Terrorist organisations that spread hate: the first seeking to inspire acts of terror and violence by its global network of online followers; the latter enabling terror in Europe, and committing acts of Wagner Group-style violence in Ukraine. Neither should be allowed to operate with impunity.In the case of Palestine Action, the group has conducted a series of acts of violence, serious damage and intimidation – affecting national security and public safety here in the UK. In one case in Glasgow the group damaged submarine parts, staff were subjected to violence, had smoke bombs and pyrotechnics thrown and them, and fled for their own safety.Most recently, Palestine Action have boasted about attacking two military planes at the Brize Norton airbase. And only last month, they claimed responsibility for an attack on a Jewish owned business in north London where the glass front of the building was smashed and the building and floor defaced with red paint.Let's be clear: the proscription of Palestine Action does not target or prevent peaceful protest in support of Palestinians, and the egregious criminal activity of this particular group in recent years must not be confused or conflated with the legitimate campaign for Palestinian rights which has existed in this country for many decades or the deep distress felt by many across the country at what is happening in Gaza or the West Bank.Lawful marches and protests have long taken place in support of Palestinians, just as on many other issues, and will continue to do so with people free to express their views or join countless different campaigning and protest groups across the country – part of our long tradition of peaceful protest.Instead this is about violent action in the UK that crosses a line and threatens national security. The right to protest doesn’t include causing millions of pounds of damage to security infrastructure, businesses, academic or government institutions, committing violence against individuals or seeking to scare or intimidate the public.National security transcends political beliefs. It is a shared responsibility to protect the freedoms and safety of the British people. Our values and freedoms must be defended and we cannot stand for dangerous activity that puts our security at risk. The Government will continue to act to prevent terrorist activity and threats to our national security. The future of our democracy demands nothing less.’
Lucille Grant ● 18d