by Anna Stanley, The Critic
Palestine Action was banned, but the wider movement that developed around it has continued to evolve
When Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation following the breach of RAF Brize Norton, the intention was clear: to disrupt a campaign which had escalated from criminal damage to attacks on defence infrastructure.
More than a year later, thousands of people have been arrested in connection with Palestine Action protests. But the scale of arrests gives a misleading impression of how effectively this organisation has been disrupted.
Two months after the ban came into force, Palestine Action Global emerged overseas. Presenting itself as an international expansion of the original network, it uses the Palestine Action name and branding, solicits donations and provides material to help activists organise direct action. It raises the possibility that elements of Palestine Action’s identity and infrastructure have moved overseas,
According to the manual, activists are encouraged to establish cells and set up encrypted email accounts. The site informs them that once contact has been established, they can receive information and potential future targets.
Among the equipment it recommends is a sledgehammer. In June, a Palestine Action activist was jailed after striking a police officer with a sledgehammer during a raid, fracturing her spine.