Waving Palestinian flag may be a criminal offence

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#1 [Permalink] Posted on 10th October 2023 22:00

Waving Palestinian flag may be a criminal offence, Braverman tells police

Home secretary also suggests clampdown on pro-Arab chants in letter that will concern free speech advocates

Waving a Palestinian flag or singing a chant advocating freedom for Arabs in the region may be a criminal offence, Suella Braverman has told senior police officers.

In a letter to chief constables in England and Wales, the home secretary urged them to clamp down on any attempts to use flags, songs or swastikas to harass or intimidate members of the Jewish community.

Her words, which follow deadly attacks by Hamas on Israelis and a military response, will deeply concern freedom of speech advocates and members of the Muslim community.

In the letter, Braverman said police should not restrict themselves to potential offences related to the promotion of Hamas, a proscribed organisation.

“It is not just explicit pro-Hamas symbols and chants that are cause for concern. I would encourage police to consider whether chants such as: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world, and whether its use in certain contexts may amount to a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence.

“I would encourage police to give similar consideration to the presence of symbols such as swastikas at anti-Israel demonstrations. Context is crucial. Behaviours that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example the waving of a Palestinian flag, may not be legitimate such as when intended to glorify acts of terrorism.

“Nor is it acceptable to drive through Jewish neighbourhoods, or single out Jewish members of the public, to aggressively chant or wave pro-Palestinian symbols at. Where harassment is identified, I would encourage the police to take swift and appropriate enforcement action.

“I encourage all chief officers to ensure that any protests which could exacerbate community tensions by way of offensive placards, chants, or behaviours that could be construed as incitement or harassment, have a strong police presence to ensure perpetrators are appropriately dealt with, and that communities feel protected,” she wrote. Home Office sources confirmed her words had been approved by government lawyers.

Decisions on arrests are an operational matter for the police, Braverman wrote. “However, I would urge you to ensure your forces use all available powers to prevent disorder and distress to our communities, and that your officers will act if there are any incidents that stray into criminality,” she said.

The human rights barrister Shami Chakrabarti said “[that] the letter had been so readily press-released suggests that the intervention is at best virtue signalling and at worst seeking to compromise operational independence”, adding: “Police chiefs know their powers and duties. Anxious and vulnerable minority communities are not made safer by the politicisation of policing in difficult and dangerous times.”

Braverman’s letter was sent after Rishi Sunak vowed that anyone in the UK supporting Hamas would be “held to account” in the aftermath of the attack on Israel.

The prime minister said the government was ready to support any British citizens in need of help, during a visit in Staffordshire on Tuesday.

Thousands gather in London for protests and vigils as Israel-Hamas war enters third day

A “significant number” of British-Israeli dual nationals have been caught up in the conflict in Israel and Gaza, said the foreign secretary, James Cleverly.

Sunak confirmed his support for Israel, saying he stood in solidarity with the state and its people “in the face of these barbaric acts of terrorism”.

Discussing his visit to a synagogue in north London on Monday night, Sunak said he had been “unequivocal with them that we will make sure that they feel safe at this time”.

He said police had “been given very clear guidance and advice from the government to do everything that they can to keep the community safe”.

Officers will “clamp down on any behaviour that falls foul of the law”, Sunak said.

He added: “I’d just remind everyone that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation. People should not be supporting Hamas and we will make sure that we hold people to account if they are.”

The number of Britons caught up in the violence in Israel and Gaza has yet to be confirmed, with ministers wary that official estimates of casualties and those injured are still being compiled.

Sunak said he understood there were families in the UK “anxious about their loved ones in the region”.

He added: “I want to reassure them we’re doing everything we can, working very closely with the Israeli authorities to establish what is happening on the ground, provide support to people where it’s needed.

“I’d urge anyone there to contact the Foreign Office so that they have their details, follow the advice locally from the Israelis but also from the Foreign Office, and we stand ready to support everyone as best we can.”

Earlier, Cleverly called on supporters of Palestine to stay at home, after protests in London.

The foreign secretary said: “There is no need, there’s no necessity for people to come out. It causes distress. This is a difficult, delicate situation.”

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#2 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 00:19

This rabid hypocrite was claiming there are no blasphemy laws, in the U.K... In support of act of hates against Islam.

But suddenly it is an act of blasphemy, to wave the Palestinian flag, in support of the oppressed people of Palestine.

Not to mention she considered Hindutva thugs marching through Leicester chanting slogans, intimidating and attacking Muslims. As an act of Freedom speech.

Furthermore this Rabid lunatic is in the news every other day, harping on about Asylum seekers coming into the Country. Whilst ignoring the fact European asylum seekers in Palestine armed themselves to the hilt and waged a terrorist campaign of ethnically cleansing and occupying Palestine.

As for Sunak the Zionist stooge if merely supporting the right of Palestinian liberation from apartheid is an act of Barbaric Terrorism.

(Note: We denounce any deliberate act of targeting of civilians no matter who is responsible)

Then what about hin supporting the Barabaric State of Israel and its campaign of genocide does that not make him a terrorist. Or the fact hundred of British citizens every year go and join the IDF.

Furthermore if Palestinians collectively are Terrorists, then should’nt you, also be applying the same label to the Ukrainians.

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#3 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 07:57

www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-chiefs-asked-to...

is therefore a criminal offence for a person in the UK to:

belong to Hamas
invite support for Hamas
express support for Hamas whilst being reckless as to whether the expression will encourage support of it
arrange a meeting in support of Hamas
wear clothing or carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of Hamas or
publish an image of an article such as a flag or logo in the same circumstances

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#4 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 09:25

Quote:

“Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas,” Netanyahu told his Likud party’s Knesset members in March 2019. “This is part of our strategy"

x.com/haaretzcom/status/1711329340804186619?s=20

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#5 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 10:06

abu mohammed wrote:

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I hope this message from India helps others.

We Indians lived in an democratic country for 75 years.

We used our democratic right of freedom of expression.

Indian Majority was silently watching us. We didn't knew it was silently getting polarized.

Today, all our democratic rights are taken away. We are silent spectators now.

I hope this experience can help other muslims where they live in minority.

Waving a flag cannot help the oppressed. But it helps the oppressor to target us.

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#6 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 11:31

akbar703 wrote:

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Quote:

We used our democratic right

This is when it went downhill.

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#7 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 16:28

abu mohammed wrote:

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Ok it is on downhill

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#8 [Permalink] Posted on 11th October 2023 17:18

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#9 [Permalink] Posted on 12th October 2023 17:47

The implications of Israel's invincibility being shattered

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/opinion/the-implications-of-israels-invincibility-being-shattered-11518651.html

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#10 [Permalink] Posted on 12th October 2023 20:57

Scotland Yard chief tells London's Jewish community they will 'deal with' Hamas supporters after attack on Israel - but won't crackdown on people waving Palestinian flags

'What we cannot do is interpret support for the Palestinian cause more broadly as automatically being support for Hamas or any other proscribed group, even when it follows so soon after an attack carried out by that group and when to many the link seems indisputable.

'An expression of support for the Palestinian people more broadly, including flying the Palestinian flag, does not, alone, constitute a criminal offence.'

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Waving Palestinian flag may be a criminal offence

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