The UK government’s recent suspension of 30 arms export licenses to Israel marks a significant acknowledgment of the potential for British-supplied weapons to be used in war crimes. However, while the Labour administration takes tentative steps in recognizing these risks, it continues a parallel crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists and journalists.

Amidst accusations of terrorism under vague legal pretexts, prominent figures like Richard Medhurst, Sarah Wilkinson, and members of Palestine Action face arrests and convictions in what appears to be a broad campaign to silence opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

On September 2, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing concerns that the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. While some have criticized the decision as insufficient and delayed, it indicates that the UK government acknowledges the potential for British-supplied weapons to be used in war crimes, a significant admission by the Labour government.

Despite documented human rights violations that have been condemned by various United Nations bodies and leading human rights organizations, the British government has chosen to intensify its actions against opponents of Israel’s military operations in Gaza while maintaining its support for the Israeli government.

Richard Medhurst

Richard Medhurst is a well-known journalist and political commentator who has consistently opposed Britain’s support for Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, which he views as war crimes.

In August, upon arriving at Heathrow Airport in London, he was immediately arrested by six police officers. They informed him that the arrest was made under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act.

Medhurst noted that he was accused of expressing an opinion or belief in support of a proscribed terrorist organization. However, he said the authorities “wouldn’t explain what this meant.”

“I was placed in solitary confinement, in a cold cell that smelt like urine. There was no light, and the bed—if you can even call it a bed—was simply a small concrete ledge with a paper-thin mattress,” Medhurst explained in a 9-minute video where he shared his side of the story.

He categorically rejected any claims of involvement in terrorism, emphasizing that he is a journalist raised to be anti-war. He noted that both of his parents were Nobel Peace Prize recipients for their work as United Nations peacekeepers.

“Counterterrorism laws should be used to fight actual terrorism, not journalism,” Medhurst continued. He added that he was not informed of the specific comments that had been construed as supporting a terrorist group. He speculated that the accusation likely stemmed from his coverage of the ongoing conflict in occupied Palestine.

Medhurst also expressed concern that the arrest and the requirement to check in with authorities in three months have restricted his free speech. He now fears that his words could be twisted and used against him.

Palestine Action

Since the onset of the war on Gaza, Palestine Action, an organization active since 2020, has intensified its campaign to dismantle weapons manufacturers like Elbit Systems in the United Kingdom and obstruct the transfer of arms components to the Israeli military.

Activists have employed tactics such as occupying facilities and sabotaging equipment belonging to these manufacturers, with the goal of disrupting the arms supply chain from British soil to Israel.

Most notably, Richard Barnard, co-founder of Palestine Action, has been charged under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for “expressing an opinion that is supportive of a proscribed organization.” He also faces two additional charges of encouraging or intending to encourage criminal damage.

Although the specific grounds for the charge of supporting a terrorist organization have not been clearly defined, it is alleged that Barnard expressed support for Hamas. However, no public evidence has yet been presented to substantiate these claims.

In England, 11 members of Palestine Action have been imprisoned for their involvement in direct actions against weapons manufacturers. Among them are the “Filton 10,” a group that includes Ian Sanders, Zoe Rogers, Hannah Davidson, William Plastow, Madeleine Norman, Samuel Corner, Fatema Rajwani, Charlotte Head, Jordan Devlin, and Leona Kamio.

Initially detained for a week under the Terrorism Act without charge, they were later charged with non-terror-related offenses and subsequently remanded to prison.

Additionally, activist Francesca Nadin took direct action against the Teledyne weapons factory in Shipley, effectively halting the production of parts for Israel’s missiles and fighter jets. Following this, she was remanded to prison after being charged with “conspiracy to commit criminal damage” targeting two banks in Leeds, both of which are known to invest in Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems.

In Scotland, five activists — Ayesha, 23; Calum, 24; Eva, 26; Stuart, 26; and Sumo, 22 — were imprisoned on July 20, 2024, for occupying the Thales weapons factory in Glasgow, resulting in more than £1 million in losses. Two of the activists were convicted of “breach of the peace” and “malicious mischief” for destroying weapons components at the factory, leading to custodial sentences of 14 and 16 months. The remaining three were convicted of “breach of the peace” and handed 12-month custodial sentences.

All five are expected to serve at least half of their sentences in prison. According to the judge, the harsh punishment was intended to set an example.

Sarah Wilkinson

Twelve anti-terrorism police officers, described by her son as “balaclava-clad thugs,” arrested 61-year-old activist Sarah Wilkinson after raiding her home in late August and seizing her electronic devices.

She was later released under the condition that she refrain from using electronic devices. Since then, she has been unable to continue her popular social media coverage of the war in Gaza.

Wilkinson has been a long-standing peace activist. She participated in an initiative in Jordan to airdrop humanitarian aid to the people of northern Gaza, who were suffering from starvation. She was also scheduled to join a humanitarian aid flotilla that aimed to sail to the besieged coastal enclave in an effort to break the Israeli siege.

Perhaps most recognized for her online activism, Wilkinson regularly engages with her 300,000 followers on X.

She stands accused of “posting content online,” although it remains unclear which specific posts are in question or whether she faces additional charges under the Terrorism Act.

In response to her arrest, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters released a video statement claiming she was arrested “for standing up for human rights and campaigning against genocide.” He added, “If you allow this to stand, the arrest of Sarah Wilkinson and the persecution of my friend Craig Murray, among others, then you have absolutely accepted that England is now a fascist state. 1984 has arrived and is alive and well in the United Kingdom. Over my dead body,” he concluded.

OVER MY DEAD BODY

British human rights activist and social media influencer @swilkinsonbc was arrested by UK police on 29 August, reportedly over “content she posted online.”

“The police came to her house just before 7.30am. [Twelve] of them in total, some of them in plain… pic.twitter.com/scm2HgZ97g

— Roger Waters (@rogerwaters) August 29, 2024

Although the recent wave of arrests marks an escalation in the British government’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists and journalists, this is not the first time such actions have been taken.

For example, Heba Alhayek, Pauline Ankunda, and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo were each given a 12-month conditional discharge for displaying images of paragliders on their backpacks during a pro-Palestine protest in Central London in October. While the women were not explicitly showing support for Hamas, they had used paraglider images—symbolizing one of the methods Palestinian fighters employed to breach the Israeli security fence on October 7.

In this case, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram told the three women, “You crossed the line, but it would be fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue. Your lesson has been well learned.” Although Ikram acknowledged that the women did not intend to support Hamas, they were still convicted of a terror-related offense.

In contrast, Israeli soldiers who directly participated in the Gaza ground invasion—an action the International Court of Justice (ICJ) considers to potentially constitute genocide—have been permitted to participate in speaking events in London.

In all these cases—both arrests and convictions—it appears that British authorities have sought to make examples of these individuals, aiming to silence them and intimidate others from engaging in similar activities.

The crackdown comes at a time when Israel is accused of committing serious crimes against civilians, which has been the root cause driving much of the activism and journalism mentioned.

Feature photo | A protester is seen with glue tape on her mouth and written ‘FREE SPEECH’ during a demonstration outside the Royal Court of Justice in London. Krisztian Elek | AP

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

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