by Tom Jones, The Critic
Neocommunal politics leads to the collapse of the common good
[…] This weekend, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are preparing to gather in London in what could become one of the most direct challenges to the UK’s anti-terror laws in recent memory. At the heart of this mobilisation is Palestine Action — the activist network recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Despite the serious legal consequences, including up to 14 years in prison for expressing support for a banned group, organisers and supporters remain undeterred. Since July 5, over 200 individuals have been arrested under the Act. Now, campaigners intend to escalate by openly and collectively defying the ban.
A briefing document shared by the civil liberties group Defend Our Juries, and obtained by The Telegraph, outlines the plan in striking terms. It concedes the personal risks of participation but argues that the state may be unable — or unwilling — to respond if faced with mass civil disobedience on such a scale.
“Even assuming [the state] had the physical capacity to arrest so many people on the same day,” the document states, “the political fallout… would be incalculable.” The briefing goes further, suggesting that overwhelming the criminal justice system could create the pressure needed to reverse the ban entirely.
The planned demonstration is a calculated stress test of the government’s ability, and willingness, to enforce the law in the face of widespread opposition. With one of Palestine Action’s co-founders now cleared to challenge the legality of the ban in court, campaigners sense an opening.
This is what neocommunal politics looks like. A neocommunal country’s politics are less concerned with the common good than with ethnic loyalty and demographic influence. When loyalty to ethnic or ideological factions outweighs loyalty to anything else, political discourse becomes less about finding consensus and more about securing power for your own group.
Read also: British police are unprepared for violent disorder by Niall Gooch, UnHerd