At least 1,500 people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are preparing to break terror law tomorrow.
Their planned action? Sitting on the floor holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” The group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July. The campaign Defend Our Juries is planning a major escalation from its last major protest in August, when more than 500 people were arrested – beating the record from the poll tax riots. Half of those arrested supporting Palestine Action were over the age 60.
This time, organisers expect protesters in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to join the mass civil disobedience, which they describe as an “unprecedented simultaneous challenge to all three legal systems within the UK’s constitutional framework”.
These protesters will be joined by a coalition of major civil society organisations, including Black Lives Matter UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Stop the War Coalition, who have announced the formation of a bloc and that they will be acting as witnesses to the policing of Saturday’s demonstrations.
But with Yvette Cooper holding firm on proscribing Palestine Action, the question is begged: who will blink first?
To explore that question and the tactics now in play on both sides, I spoke to Guardian senior reporter Ben Quinn, who has been reporting on the protests.
