Don’t ban Palestine Action – solidarity statement

WE ARE ALL PALESTINE ACTION We demand that the government ends all diplomatic, economic and military support for Israel, and withdraw their threat to proscribe Palestine Action. Read our statement >>>

This statement is one of solidarity, and one of intent. It is a response to the Labour government’s stated aim – made by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper – to “proscribe [ban] Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. A draft proscription order will be laid in Parliament on Monday 30 June. If passed, it will make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action”. This would mean those who “join” or express support for Palestine Action could face sentences of up to 14 years in prison. 

Palestine Action is “a direct action movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”. We believe their actions have been proportionate – and effective – and that they have public support.

We demand that the government ends all diplomatic, economic and military support for Israel, and withdraw their threat to proscribe Palestine Action.

In 2004, current Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended a man who broke into the nearby RAF Fairford base (which hosts US bombers) and attempted to set fire to military aircraft. This was part of a trial of five people who had broken into the military air base in 2003 and disabled equipment in order to disrupt military operations at the start of the Iraq War. Starmer argued in Court that the activists’ actions were justified because they were to stop an ‘illegal war.’ As in similar cases in which Palestine Action activists have faced jury trials, two of the defendants were acquitted in May 2007 after the jury accepted their actions were reasonable for trying to prevent war crimes. Palestine Action now faces proscription for the same protest action which Starmer had defended as legal – this time using only paint, not fire. 

If the government goes ahead with their plans to proscribe Palestine Action, we signal our intention to make the proscription unworkable – to defy it, to encourage others to do so, and to assist people in taking actions similar to those taken by Palestine Action.

It is necessary to directly disrupt the production of weapons used in the genocide in Gaza and in the illegal occupation and apartheid conducted by the Israeli state, and to protest the companies and institutions complicit in this.

We know that not everyone who reads our statement will know who Palestine Action are, and may not support their actions. We don’t agree with everything people involved with the group have ever said or done. Crucially, we don’t think criminal damage or encouraging it with the aim of preventing killing should be prosecuted as terrorism.

We ask you to read more on our website (below), and consider the implications of defining these actions – even if you don’t agree with them – as “terrorism” very carefully. If you agree with our statement, we encourage you to take action, alongside us and many others:

What can you do?

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Additional information:

To accompany our statement on Palestine Action we provide these additional notes to address the following questions:

  • Why is Community Solidarity Stroud District making a statement of solidarity?
  • How Israel is breaking International Law
  • What is Palestine Action?
  • Why did Palestine Action target RAF Brize Norton?
  • Is action by Palestine Action effective?
  • Is there public support for Palestine Action’s cause?
  • But isn’t what Palestine Action do fairly described as terrorism?
  • Isn’t Palestine Action antisemitic?
  • How can I get more information from Community Solidarity Stroud District?

Why is Community Solidarity Stroud District making a statement of solidarity?

We are making this statement because solidarity with other activist groups is important – we will not allow the government to single out a protest group in this way. We are making this statement alongside dozens of other organisations. This is necessary to show how farcical it is for Yvette Cooper to say that banning Palestine Action “does not affect lawful protest groups and other organisations campaigning on issues around Palestine or the Middle East”. We want the government to understand that if they “make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action”, they will be targeting us, as well as Palestine Action.

We are making this statement because the decision does not come in isolation – it continues a creeping authoritarianism and restriction of the right to protest. Some hoped that the new government elected in May 2024 would reverse or at least halt this trend, but the government is pursuing further restrictions that mean “the UK is moving out of line with other democratic states and closer into step with Russia and China”, according to experts. More than 20 legal organisations from around the world had already condemned “credible reports of serious violations of fair trial rights and other human rights of Palestine Action activists” and “called on the British authorities to “urgently cease the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation against the Filton 18” – 18 people imprisoned since August 2024 accused of “terrorism-connected” offences for action at the Filton, Bristol premises of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company.

As Liberty say: “This a concerning escalation of how the Government treats protest groups and uses terrorism powers. Proscribing a direct-action protest group in this way potentially sets a new precedent for what we do and do not treat as terrorism.

“We’re worried about the chilling effect this would have on the thousands of people who campaign for Palestine, and their ability to express themselves and take part in protests. Proscribing Palestine Action would mean that showing support for them in any way – for example, sharing a post on social media or wearing a logo – could carry a prison sentence.

“MPs must strongly consider the necessity and proportionality of this move by the Home Secretary when they debate the matter in Parliament – as well as the precedent this worrying expansion of terrorism powers would set for our democracy.”

We are making this statement in the spirit of our core mission to oppose the hatred of minorities and oppressed people. The Palestinian people are an oppressed people – experiencing apartheid and occupation and – right now –  a genocide; a “war of annihilation” waged against them by Israel (in the words of activists from the Israel-based organisation Standing Together);.

Finally, we are making this statement as a community group that values the power individuals and community groups have to shape the world. We believe politics is about more than elections, that protest is about more than placards. In explaining their approach, Palestine Action say “Rather than begging those who are complicit to gain a moral compass, we go straight to the source and shut down the production of Israeli weapons.” We believe taking action in this way can be proportionate, effective, and have broad public support – as in this case.

The actions Palestine Action takes are proportionate – their intention is to prevent killing, the destruction of property, and complicity in apartheid, occupation and genocide (see our section below on how Israel is breaking International Law).

The actions Palestine Action takes are regularly effective. In their words “Palestine Action has forced Israeli weapons factories to permanently close down, companies to cut ties with Elbit [Israel’s biggest weapons producer] and lost Elbit lucrative contracts worth £billions”

The cause of Palestine Action has public support. Juries have found individuals who have taken action on behalf of the group “not guilty” in several cases, having heard arguments that the actions were necessary to protect lives and property in Palestine.

The UK government is an active participant in the genocide in Palestine. It is supplying weapons – “The UK government approved $169m worth of military equipment to Israel in the three months that followed the Labour government’s partial suspension of arms exports over concerns they could be used unlawfully in Gaza”. The UK government is also collaborating with the Israeli military – through cargo transports, refueling, and ongoing training. 

How Israel is breaking International Law

The actions of the Israeli government in Gaza and in the West Bank have been widely condemned, including as unlawful. On 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “declared that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation and use of natural resources. The Court added that Israel’s legislation and measures violate the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. The ICJ mandated Israel to end its occupation, dismantle its settlements, provide full reparations to Palestinian victims and facilitate the return of displaced people.” On the 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, holding him “Allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.”

Historians of the Holocaust and experts in genocide studies, such as Prof. Daniel Blatman and Prof. Amos Goldberg, describe what is happening as “a clear picture of genocide.”

Even the UK Government’s formal position on Gaza and the West Bank acknowledges that the occupation of these territories and Israeli settlements within them are illegal: “The UK has a clear position on Israeli settlements: The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights have been occupied by Israel since 1967. Settlements are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties.” 

We are a founder member of the Stroud Ceasefire Now Coalition because of these realities. This involves us attending weekly vigils, and sharing information about events organised by partner organisations in the coalition with our supporter audience of around 800 people.

What is Palestine Action?

In their own words, “Palestine Action is a direct action movement committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime. Using disruptive tactics, Palestine Action targets corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex and seeks to make it impossible for these companies to profit from the oppression of Palestinians.”

Why did Palestine Action target RAF Brize Norton?

Flights leave daily for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, a base used for military operations in Gaza and across the Middle East. The base is used for UK and US military cargo transports to the Israeli military, and for surveillance missions flown by the RAF in support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The planes targeted were Airbus Voyagers, which can carry military cargo and have used to refuel Israeli/US/UK military aircrafts and fighter jets

Is action by Palestine Action effective?

Palestine Action say over a dozen companies have cut ties with Elbit, Israel’s largest weapon’s manufacturer, as a result of their actions to date. Here are some examples:

  • The sole recruiters for the British operations of Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems, ended their association with Elbit after 2 months of activism by Palestine Action in November 2023. 
  • “property managers for Elbit Systems’ Shenstone drone factory, Fisher German… cut ties with the Israeli arms manufacturer” in December 2023.
  • A machinery supplier took steps “as a direct result of [Palestine Action’s] targeted actions” to ensure they are no longer associated with Elbit Systems”, prompted by “activists abseiling inside Hydrafeed to dismantle their equipment, smashing through the front doors and spraying their premises in blood red paint”.
  • Metal casting manufacturer Dean Group International “severed all ties with Elbit Systems UK subsidiary Instro Precision, and has promised never to work with Elbit Systems or its subsidiaries in the future”, less than three weeks after Dean Group was targeted by Palestine Action in a direct action campaign (in April 2025).

Is there public support for Palestine Action’s cause?

Recent polling (Opinium Research between 30 May and 2 June) showed “57 percent of people think the UK should impose a full arms embargo, with only 13 percent opposed. The poll also found 53 percent of people think Israel should be expelled from the United Nations, while 50 percent said Israeli products in supermarkets should be boycotted.”

YouGov polling in May 2025 found 41% of GB adults thought the UK should be “More critical towards Israel than it has been”, and in January 2025, 79% of GB adults supported a ceasefire and only 4% opposed one.

This polling is consistent with earlier polling – in May 2024 “55% of people support[ed] the UK ending the sale of arms to Israel for the duration of the conflict in Gaza. Only 13% want[ed] to see the continuation of arms sales”. At that time “73% of people support[ed] an immediate ceasefire in Gaza… Only 8% believe[d] that there should not be one”. At that time “Only 18% of people polled approve of the [then Conservative] UK Government’s response, while even fewer, just 12%, approve of the response from Labour.”

While there is not polling indicating public attitudes to the disruptive action taken by Palestine Action, juries have found people not guilty when they have used arguments arguing the damage they have caused is justified by seeking to reduce killing and the destruction of property:

  • “On Thursday 5th October 2023, a jury unanimously found an activist from Palestine Action, Sohail Sultan, not guilty of criminal damage against Arconic… Arconic manufactures components and materials for Boeing Apache Helicopters and Lockheed Martin F-35 Fighter Jets. Both of these are routinely deployed by the Israeli military in aerial assaults on Gaza, including in the May 2021 bombardments which killed 230 Palestinians including 65 children”. A “not guilty verdict was reached after the jury deliberated on whether or not Sohail’s action was taken to immediately protect property in Palestine and in necessity to save lives.”
  • In December 2023, “eight Palestine Action activists who used direct action to shut down the Israeli weapons trade [were] acquitted of a total 12 charges which included criminal damage, burglary and encouraging criminal damage”. All eight had pled “not guilty to all charges on the basis that Elbit and Israel are the guilty party, not Palestine Action”, following occupation of three Elbit Systems drone/weapon factories, their London offices, and the offices of their landlords, Jones Lang LaSalle.
  • In May 2024, “Two activists from Palestine Action were unanimously acquitted of criminal damage by a jury in Leicester Crown Court”, having argued “the action taken was necessary in order to save lives and prevent the greater property damage in Palestine”. They had occupied the roof of UAV Tactical Systems, an Elbit drone factory in Leicester, “spray painted messages including “Shut Elbit Down” and “Free Palestine”, damaged a skylight to reveal a military drone inside and sprayed the building in blood red paint”.

But isn’t what Palestine Action do fairly described as terrorism?

In the context of the harm caused by Israel, this argument can seem preposterous, but it is a question worth answering.

Firstly it is worth noting that, in 2023, then Policing Minister Chris Philp stated that “Palestine Action does not meet the threshold for proscription as they do not commit, participate in, prepare for, promote, encourage, or otherwise be concerned with acts of terrorism.”

The definition of terrorism in the Terrorism Act is very broad, and in 2014 the senior lawyer tasked with reviewing the government’s terrorism legislation argued it had “begun to catch people it never really intended to catch”. The word is often selectively applied in ways that reflect an institutionalist Islamophobia or anti-Palestinian racism. “Prevent makes Muslim children unsafe. It renders schools sites of criminalisation and teachers informants in our classrooms… the intrinsic Islamophobia is no accidental byproduct: it is by design”. 

In the past, destruction of weaponry has been treated as criminal damage – legal sanctions already exist without escalating consequences to the level of “terrorism”. And – crucially – juries have also acquitted people who have taken part in such activity in the past. In addition to the Palestine Action cases mentioned above, and the 2003 RAF Fairford example mentioned in our statement:

  • In 1996 four women disarmed an RAF jet bound for Indonesia with hammers, causing £1.5 million in damage – their argued they were preventing British complicity in East Timor genocide – a jury found them not guilty.
  • In 2017 two activists attempted to disarm Typhoon jets allegedly bound for Saudi Arabia. They were acquitted using a defence of acting in the greater good – trying to stop the UK government’s complicity in the destruction of Yemen

As Greenpeace UK’s co-executive director, Areeba Hamid, says: “Proscribing Palestine Action would be a grave mistake. Unlike al-Qaida, Wagner group and the other groups classed as ‘terrorist organisations’, Palestine Action does not advocate for violent armed action or for people to be harmed. They exist to decommission the weapons used to commit war crimes. Proscribing them would mark a dark turn for our democracy and a new low for a government already intent on stamping out the right to protest. The police already have laws to prosecute any individuals found guilty of a crime. And as a non-violent organisation with ‘peace’ in our name, we would never defend violence. But outlawing an entire organisation and all of its supporters would be a dangerous step.”

Isn’t Palestine Action antisemitic?

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) have claimed their dossier and demands for proscription have motivated Yvette Cooper. They argue “Palestine Action is at the vanguard of an activist movement that is severely disrupting the lives of British Jews” and that the group has “vandalised Jewish premises with impunity”. Neither of these claims bears any scrutiny. 

The “Jewish premises” vandalised was the London-based landlords of ‘Discovery Park’ business park which Elbit’s Instro Precision weapons factory is situated in. Palestine Action said of the action: “Palestine Action’s direct action campaign involves targeting all those who facilitate, enable and profit from the operations of Israel’s biggest weapons producer. This includes landlords, recruiters, investors, suppliers, lobby firms, logistics firms and more. As a result, over a dozen companies have cut ties with Elbit to date. […] Instro Precision is a weapons maker owned by Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest weapons producer. The factory, which produces targeting gear for the Israeli military to commit genocide, is based in and leased by Discovery Park Ltd.”

The business was not targeted because its owners were Jewish, as is evident from the targeting of many businesses which are not Jewish owned, but which similarly have involvement with Elbit.

There has been a very concerning rise in antisemitism in recent years, and supporters of CSSD will know we have done what we can to challenge this locally (including on occasion with reference to work by the CAA). However, it is inaccurate to say that the Palestine Solidarity movement broadly or Palestine Action specifically are “severely disrupting the lives of British Jews” – this is a moral panic, and one that has an ugly taste in the context of a rise in other forms of racism including anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, not to mention the genuinely “severe disruption” of Palestinian lives. Our anti-racism should be consistent – throwing baseless accusations of antisemitism as a strategy to undermine Palestine solidarity is entirely counterproductive to efforts to tackle and eliminate antisemitism.

Jewish people as individuals and organised in groups hold a variety of positions on Israel and Palestine. Many Jewish people feel affinity with Israel, and/or have family and friends who live there. Regrettably, some Jewish organisations who have strong ties to Israel seek to excuse or justify the recent actions of the Israeli government, and/or support Israeli policies that break international law, or far-right members of the Israeli government who express open hatred and genocidal intent. However, other Jewish groups oppose these positions, and campaign in solidarity with Palestinians. One example is Na’amod – a movement of Jews in the UK seeking to end the Jewish community’s support for Israel’s occupation and apartheid, and to mobilise it in the struggle for freedom, equality and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis. Several of the Jewish members of CSSD are also members of a recently formed local branch of this organisation: Na’amod Gloucestershire.

Na’amod UK says: “Plans to proscribe Palestine Action signal an alarming escalation of the UK government’s repression of our democratic rights. Branding the group a ‘terrorist organisation’ would render support for the group and its nonviolent tactics a criminal offence, with penalties of up to 14 years’ imprisonment. The UK still provides military support to Israel as it massacres Palestinians daily. It is an indictment that rather than uphold its legal obligations to stop arming genocide, our government criminalises nonviolent action to disrupt it. We stand in solidarity with Palestine Action & against this attack on our freedoms.”

Nonetheless, it is worth adding some advice. There is evidence that the British government’s approach to Israel and to Palestine Action is influenced by lobbying. Referring to the factual details of this is obviously not antisemitic. But going beyond this to imply that this represents a foreign state or ‘Jewish conspiracy’ “pulling the strings” in Britain is worth avoiding. It’s not the case that either Israel, Zionists, or Jews run our government – rather, the British state has a long history of imperialism, colonialism, and applying the lessons learned repressing anti-colonial movements abroad here in Britain. After the British state’s actions in Iraq (to say nothing of the more distant past), the government’s current approach to Israel should not surprise us – it is sadly a far from unique example of involvement in violence, dispossession, and enshrining inequality in law. Yet, people living in Britain and in former (and current!) colonies have regularly forced the British state to retreat, and we hope this can be the case on this occasion.

How can I get more information from Community Solidarity Stroud District?

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Food, Farming & The Future, advert for public meeting – 25th May 2025

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Food, Farming and the Future

An open meeting hosted by Community Solidarity Stroud District

Sunday 25th May, 4-6pm, Trinity Rooms, Field Road, Stroud GL5 2HZ

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Join us for an inspiring meeting learning from people involved in positive and practical projects around food and farming locally. We’ll explore people’s concerns about corporate control of the food system, the future of farming, and how concerns about food and farming are being hijacked to recruit people to harmful ideas.

Our speakers will discuss the following questions:

  • What can we do about food poverty? Many people cannot access enough/healthy food
  • Why are small farms struggling and failing? What will the impact of recent policy changes such as inheritance tax be?
  • What is working in farming like? How can working conditions in the UK and overseas be improved? How can we increase access to land for farming?
  • Will there be enough food for everyone in the future? How will climate change affect food security?
  • What is the impact of farming on biodiversity, the environment, and climate change, and how can we produce food more sustainably?
  • How can we challenge the power of supermarkets and other corporations?
  • Who is hijacking fears about food and farming – stoking fear and attempting to recruit people to harmful ideas?
  • What can we do about all this?!

Agenda:

  • 4pm – event opens, time for settling and meeting people
  • 4.10pm – Introduction by the Chair
  • 4.20-5pm – Talks by our panel of speakers
  • 4-5.30pm – Discussion in groups
  • 5.30-5.45pm – Wrap up
  • 5.45pm – Closing remarks by Chair and time to chat
  • 6.00pm – Event ends

Chair and speakers:

Jade Bashford will chair the meeting. Jade is the Programme Manager for Ready Healthy Eat at the Real Farming Trust. She has previously worked on sustainable food projects for some years at a grass roots, national and international level. She was employed by the Soil Association for 14 years, in the Local Food Department. She has worked on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), set up a food hub and community orchards and has been the owner/director of an organic brewery and canteen. She has a smallholding in Stroud and keeps bees.

We will also be joined by Judith Large representing CSSD, Molly Scott Cato – local Green Party politician, economist and activist, and Eric – a farmer running Good Small Farms in Stroud.

Summary and social share buttons:

Please join us for this public meeting on Sunday 25th May from 4pm to 6pm at the Trinity Rooms, Field Road, Stroud GL5 2HZ. Please come along.

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Stop the Fascist Creep, advert for public meeting – 11th May 2025

STOP the FASCIST CREEP - An open event exploring how Stroud can resist the rise of the far right. Sunday 11th May from 2 pm to 4 pm at the Trinity Rooms, Field Road, Stroud GL5 2HZ

Community Solidarity Stroud District was formed 3 years ago by people who were concerned and alarmed that disinformation and racism were being spread in our town by groups and individuals aligned to the far right distributing The Light paper.

Disinformation is in the mainstream and the far right is organising and gaining strength. We can see this in the USA under Trump where disinformation is spread by the whole Cabinet, Germany with the AFD, The National Rally in France and in the rise of parties supporting racists like Steven Yaxley-Lennon and Nigel Farage in the UK.

Fuelled by the owners of social media sites, such as Elon Musk, it is using disinformation and infiltration to take advantage of people’s anger over falling living standards and inequality to divide our communities. Whilst those who spread the far right agenda claim that they are defending free speech and ‘truth’, they use every opportunity to assault it by spreading false information and promoting transphobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, climate change denial, Holocaust denial, and support for attacks on refugees and women’s rights.

  • How do you feel about the rise of the far right?
  • What do we value that we may lose?
  • How do we stop the fascist creep in Stroud?

Community Solidarity Stroud District is hosting an open event on Sunday 11th May from 2pm to 4pm at the Trinity Rooms, Field Road, Stroud GL5 2HZ where we can come together to discuss what more Stroud can do. Please come along.

We are offering a space for supervision of children (any age) so that people with caring responsibilities can engage with the event. And also, where appropriate, so we can facilitate and support children to engage themselves with the content of the event. There will be pens and paper, toys and games. Tosca who will be running the space has an Enhanced DBS and works with young people in Stroud.

Agenda:

  • 14.00 – 14.15: Welcome and introduction
  • 14.15 – 14.20: Groups- Ground rules
  • 14.20-14.30: Introductions in groups
  • 14.30 – 15.30: Core discussion 20 minutes per question.
    • How do you feel about the rise of the far right?
    • What do you value that we may lose?
    • How do we stop the fascist creep in Stroud?
  • 15.30 – 15.45: Group reflections and feed back
  • 15.45 – 16.00: Closing, next steps, and thank you.
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Jeremy Green’s speech on protests in Gaza and Israel at the Ceasefire Vigil

Every week the Stroud Ceasefire Now Coalition – of which CSSD is a member – holds a vigil from 6-6.15pm outside the Sub Rooms forecourt in Stroud. Speeches are made to open the silent vigil, with banners and placards displayed, followed by announcements about relevant events. Speeches are given by representatives of the different groups that made up the coalition. On Friday 28th March 2025, Jeremy Green gave a speech on protests in Gaza and Israel in the previous week. You can watch it or read the full text below, and there are links to share it on Facebook/Instagram.

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Last week Lis Parker stood here and spoke about Standing Together, the grassroots movement of Israeli Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel that aims to bring together Arab Israeli and Jewish Israeli communities in the struggle for Israeli-Palestinian peace, equality and social justice.

This week more than 100,000 Israelis have taken part in demonstrations against the Netanyahu government’s decision to end the ceasefire and return to war. Polls show a majority of Israelis are against the end of the ceasefire and want negotiations to continue. Many feel this return to war is a betrayal and that Netanyahu and his government are forsaking the remaining hostages, leaving them to die in Gaza. Israelis are also protesting what they say is a threat to their democracy, as Netanyahu has renewed his push for overhauling the country’s judicial system.

Most Israelis are protesting the resumption of the war in regards to the safety and wellbeing of the Israeli hostages. Most have limited empathy for the victims of genocide and the occupation.

But a growing number are also acknowledging the suffering and killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. At that same protest Saturday night in Tel Aviv, a few dozen held a kind of vigil for children killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza, holding photos of them in the crowd along with memorial candles. Others carried signs that said “Stop the Genocide,” referring to more than 50,000 Palestinians who have been killed in the war.

And in the same week Palestinians in towns throughout Gaza have taken to the streets to protest against Hamas and for a negotiated peace. If we call it brave when Israelis protest against their government and its genocidal war, and when some young people in Israel refuse to serve in the army, what word do you use for those Palestinians demonstrating against Hamas, in the full knowledge about how Hamas has treated protestors in the past?

The people demonstrating against Hamas are not fools or useful idiots for Israel, much as some Israelis want them to be. They want Hamas out, but they know that their main struggle is against Israel. “If we were freed from the shackles of the occupier and from its repeated wars, we and our children would live in safety and peace… The occupation is responsible for our suffering” is typical.

This is the Middle East, so everyone is trying to spin what the protests are and what they mean. The international media has shown not much interest in something that gets in the way of their narrative, and talked about “hundreds” of demonstrators – though in the clips I’ve watched it looks like a lot more. Hamas has said that the protests are against Israel, not against its rule, despite the chants and the banners – at the same time as it has claimed that they are orchestrated by Israel, or by the Palestinian Authority. In Israel the Netanyahu government is calling those who protest against it as “echoing Hamas propaganda”.

It would be naive to assume that the protests in Israel, and in Gaza, mean that the wars are about to end. Yesterday Israel attacked Beirut with drones. But let’s remember my favourite quote from Gramsci – “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will”. It’s easy to find reasons for pessimism, let’s hang on to a brief moment of hope.

Ceasefire Vigil speech, March 2025

On this page you can find the text and a video recording of the speech given by James Beecher on behalf of Community Solidarity Stroud District at the Stroud Ceasefire Now Coalition vigil, Friday 14th March 2025. The speech is followed by relevant links and resources:

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Speech text

I’m James Beecher from Community Solidarity Stroud District, a founding member of the Stroud Ceasefire Now Coalition. If you’ve not come across us before, we have flyers here you can take at the end.

We wanted to lend our organisation’s support to the movement for peace, justice, and liberation. One reason is our horror at the events of October 7th and what has unfolded since – piling misery on what was already an appalling situation long prior to last year.

In a recent article for Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, Prof. Daniel Blatman and Prof. Amos Goldberg – historians of the Holocaust and genocide studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote:

“ethnic cleansing in the northern Strip, destruction of all of Gaza’s universities and most cultural institutions and mosques, destruction of government and organizational infrastructure, mass graves, destruction of infrastructure for local food production and water distribution – all these paint a clear picture of genocide.”

These facts, I am sure, are familiar and distressing to all of you.

As Israel again cuts of electricity and threatens supplies of drinking water in Gaza, and continues its raids in the West Bank, the situation can feel urgent.

But our movement will be a long one. So I want to talk about aspects of how we build and sustain that movement, in this country – in our district.

CSSD exists to build community led solidarity in the Stroud district to oppose the hatred of minorities and oppressed people arising from false and harmful information.

There have been dramatic increases in antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hatred directed at Palestinians whether they are Muslim or not.

Recently, the charity Tell Mama revealed that it had received 10,700 reports of anti-Muslim hate in 2023, of which 9,600 were verified incidents.

Their data show a marked increase in street-based abuse and a surge in online hate following the Southport attack and related riots.

Separate police figures show that Muslims were the most targeted group in England and Wales, accounting for 38 percent of religious hate crimes recorded up to March 2024, followed by Jews at 33 percent.

Yet, last week, the UK government has announced that it will withdraw all funding for the anti-Islamophobia charity Tell Mama. This has left the organisation facing closure.

We hope to mobilise community solidarity against Islamophobia.

And we also need to talk about rising antisemitism.

Unfortunately, any conversation on this topic has to recognise that much of the discussion of antisemitism in this country has become almost entirely divorced from any meaningful effort to oppose bigotry and prejudice, instead becoming only a cudgel to batter political opponents. This does not serve Jewish people. In particular, genuine expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people or the cause of liberation in Palestine, or critiques of either the Israeli state or the ideology of Zionism are frequently accused of being antisemitic when this is not the case. This distorts reporting on the prevalence of antisemitism. One negative consequence of this is the stoking of unnecessary fear among Jewish people. Another is that many activists become less willing to address antisemitism – or accept it does exist – because of disingenuous accusations.

However, it is the case that the prevalence of antisemitism has risen in the past year or so, whether in the form of verbal abuse, violent attacks, and the invocation of paranoid fantasies about Jewish control. This is happening nationally, locally, and internationally. The far right are seeking to hijack the situation. Elon Musk and Steve Bannon give Nazi salutes to appeal to antisemites and white supremacists. Tommy Robinson allies himself with Zionists in order to build his Islamophobic movement. The Homeland Party says neither Jews nor Muslims “belong [in the UK] and should be remigrated”. 

And we’ve seen moments when antisemitism in our spaces has gone unchallenged or calls to address it are met with dismissive silence or defensiveness.

Yet, our movements are undermined when they are sent into a tailspin by this topic, and strengthened when we are prepared to deal with the issues with clarity.

Locally, we’ve seen swastikas scrawled on walls and kids play areas. Last year we also experienced an attempt to organise Nazi-sympathising meetings locally – on marking the anniversary of Hitler’s birth and another promoting the infamous antisemitic conspiracy The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. These meetings were to be addressed by John Hamer – a white supremacist spreading both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

We were pleased to see huge community opposition force the organisers to cancel those meetings.

We were also grateful to Palestine Solidarity Campaign Stroud District for supporting our efforts to expose Saskia Whitfield – a candidate to be our MP in the last election. She had tried to cloak her antisemitism, which extended as far as Holocaust denial and Nazi-sympathising, in the language of solidarity with Palestine or ‘anti-Zionism’.

In Community Solidarity, we firmly believe that safety for communities comes through solidarity. Those of us committed to liberation, justice, and peace, must oppose Islamopbobia, anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Jewish hatred and conspiratorial fantasies that falsely position Jews as orchestrating world events.

In the words of a Jewish activist in Pro-Palestinian work in the US, Dove Kent: “Solidarity is not easy. It is difficult, it is trying, it is facing disappointments in each other over and over again – and reaching for each other over and over again. It’s not walking away”.

We believe that we can identify commonalities and intersections between different forms of oppression – antisemitism and Islamophobia among them.

This does not mean that these kinds of oppression work in the same way, or that the experiences of those targeted by different forms of oppression are identical. There is work to do to learn about the experiences of people who experience marginalisation and racism – for example, to understand the inherited, intergenerational trauma in Jewish communities that can drive some Jewish people to uncritically support the actions of the Israeli state.

And we should accept the invitation of the Stroud District Muslim community at their free event on Saturday 22nd March to break their fast, share the Iftar meal and learn about the importance of Ramadan, and the experiences and opinions of Muslims living locally.

As we stand together in silence tonight to reflect on ongoing violence, suffering and oppression, to reaffirm our desire for a permanent ceasefire and a just peace, let us also commit to caring for one another, to opposing racism and hatred, and to building safety for all.

Links and resources:

The speech does not reference but quotes from and is inspired by the ideas in “Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism” by Shane Burley and Ben Lorber. Buy the book from the Yellow Lighted Bookshop, or read on of these free online pieces “Making Sense of the Fight Against Antisemitism”, “How to fight antisemitism – and win”, “The Evidence is Clear – Antisemitism’s Threat Comes from the Right”

“There’s No Auschwitz in Gaza. But It’s Still Genocide” – Haaretz, 30th January 2025

“Press Release: Tens of thousands to demonstrate in London calling for an end to Israel’s siege of Gaza and attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank” – Palestine Solidarity Campaign, 14th March 2025

“UK government cuts funding to anti-Islamophobia charity Tell Mama” – The New Arab, 8th March 2025

“Elon Musk’s Inaugural Roman Salute Sparks Outrage, Far-Right Praise” – SPLC, 21st January 2025

“Steve Bannon’s Apparent Nazi Salute At CPAC Causes Uproar On Social Media” Huffington Post, 21st February 2025

“Nazi Meetings in Stroud? What?!” – CSSD – 15th April 2024

“The Light appoints Holocaust denier John Hamer as a regular contributor” – CSSD – 28th May 2024

“Our letter to the people backing Nazi-sympathising candidate for MP” – CSSD – 26th June 2024

“A ‘no-go zone’ for Jews? The making of a moral panic in London” – Ben Reiff, 972 Magazine, March 13th 2024

“The Ramadan Experience” Saturday, 22 Mar 2025, 6-7.30pm at The Maypole Hall: Join the Stroud Muslim Community to break their fast. Share the Iftar meal and learn about the importance of Ramadan. Booking required.

Evidence

The swastikas below were found in a kids playground in Stroud. They were removed by a member of CSSD. We have found others previously

Who is hijacking fears about food and farming?

Recently we’ve received enquiries about an upcoming event organised by a group calling itself “Our Free Town”.

Our Free Town sounds nice… it’s all about self-sufficiency, and creating “a cultural community in Stroud – a sense of well-being, togetherness, kindness and giving; a common-sense approach that aligns with how our local communities used to operate in the past”. What’s not to like?

A scratch below the surface, though, and it turns out to be the group of contrarians that distribute “The Light” paper in Stroud, operating yet another front group to recruit people into conspiracy beliefs and tolerance of far-right ideas, individuals and organisations (see footnote for more on the group’s origins). The group already variously brands itself as “The Info-Hub” or “Info-Hug”, “Stroud Freedom Group” and “Stroud Peace Hub”. Their stall promotes the “Our Free Town” initiative, as does the email list set up by another branded group, the “Beacon of Renewal” – used alongside “Stroud Freedom Group” to promote regular events at different venues since the physical venue “The Beacon” closed in January 2022.

Community Solidarity Stroud District has exposed and challenged the promotion of the far right, consistent climate denial, anti-women content, transphobia and homophobia, and events that have featured people with histories of antisemitism and Holocaust Denial in “The Light” and in events organised by the previously mentioned groups… but what’s our problem with “Our Free Town”. Aren’t the ideas promoted things we support too? Wouldn’t it be a good thing if the contrarians get involved in this sort of initiative and moved away from their harmful ideas?

The problem is that the initiative doesn’t represent a move away from contrarian ideas – but an attempt to recruit people through a cuddly project.

“Our Free Town” organises foraging events and farm volunteering, alongside lecturers by pseudoscientists and quacks. It directs people to a website which promotes “fearless speech”, and turns out to be a gateway to climate science denial, back issues of “The Light”, “Stroud Freedom Group” events, and attacks on “woke” that would be at home in the Daily Mail, at the Conservative Party conference, or – indeed – in “The Light”.

There’s also a new “Our Free Town” Magazine edited by Richard House, also the editor of a “Best of The Light” book and author of regular pieces in “The Light” paper (sometimes more than one piece in the same issue).

What about their upcoming event?

It’s called “Supporting Farmers for Food Security Symposium” which sounds worthy. The flyer is a bit strange though – full of computer-generated imaginary images of farms – with solar and wind energy as the hellish alternative. With a big logo for the “No Farmers No Food” movement, which appears grassroots. The DeSmog site has revealed there is a Climate Denial Network Behind [this] ‘Classic Astroturf’ Farmers’ Campaign, however.

Then there’s the speakers:

We’ve written about Sandi Adams previously as she’s been hosted in Stroud several times, despite our request organisers think again due to the horrible antisemitic content she hosts on her website (she has removed much of it, claiming it was put there by a webmaster without her knowledge, but to this day still hosts a nasty documentary on the “Jewish Crucifixion of Russia”). Adams also promotes anti-environmental conspiracy theories.

The compere is Charles Malet from “conspiracy theory-oriented online media outlet” UK Column, which has “areas of overlap with the far right” (in the words of this Hope Not Hate ‘Case File’). Examples include Malet himself equating gender affirmation surgery with “genital mutilation”, and the media outlet as a whole pushing Nazi-era conspiracies about the “Kalergi Plan”, a version of the paranoid and racist Great Replacement/White Genocide fantasy that imagines a plot to “replace” white Europeans through migration.

Another speaker, Richard Vobes – a former TV writer turned YouTuber (who has also been featured in “The Light”) – pushes a range of paranoid ideas. These include a fantasy not entirely unrelated to the ‘Great Replacement’ – again denying the agency of people from other countries seeking refuge or a better life in the UK. For him its plausible to wonder if these people are UN soldiers being brought in to police a future lockdown.

One of the farmers speaking (Mark Byford) works with The Sovereign Project, promoting dangerous and false pseudo-legal solutions that often land desperate people in big trouble. The ‘sovereign citizen’ beliefs behind this group are imported from the US, originating with the far right extremist antisemitic Posse Comitatus movement. He recently posted a link to the “Great British PAC” on social media, describing this as “at last some real sanity”. A letter announcing the launch of the group talks of how “it will “the right must be united” to “save the country from the socialists”. The organisation enthusiastically places themselves as operating in the spirit of the new US administration and it’s dramatic attempted use of executive powers to attack marginalised people and force an overwhelming “shock doctrine“-style dismantling of social support: “This is how Trump and Musk are reshaping America”. In the United States, a political action committee or PAC is a tax-exempt organization that pools campaign contributions and donates those funds to campaigns.

Conclusion

While “Our Free Town” or their farming event might seem harmless enough, that’s the point. It’s not intended to introduce people from the far-right or conspiracy fans to the pleasures of growing vegetables. Instead, the aim is to funnel people with an interest in self-sufficency, or local food towards the far-right. If some of your friends innocently stumble across this and think it seems nice, put them right. We would recommend directing energy to better local projects like Transition Stroud or Stroud Commons – or, the many existing food initiatives, Stroud Community Agriculture, for example. Regarding the politics of food, there are also national initiatives like the Real Farming Trust and Landworkers’ Alliance. The latter is launching a new campaign to ‘Re-Root Agroecology’, we’ll end this article with some of their words:

“it’s not enough to just farm with nature, without acknowledging that not everyone is able to access land and green spaces. It’s not enough to nurture diversity in our farming systems if we’re not fighting for justice and anti-oppression in our workforce. It’s not enough to provide cheap food at affordable prices at the expense of farmer’s wages, just as it’s not enough for farmers to fetch a good price for quality produce if it’s not accessible to those at the sharp end of food poverty. “

“The fact that farming is political has been brought into even sharper focus recently by the ongoing farmer protests around changes to agricultural inheritance tax. This controversy has foregrounded issues around land ownership, corporate power, generational renewal, farm income, and much much more. While the LWA stands in solidarity with the many farmers who may suffer from this blunt-instrument policy (our own members included), we firmly condemn the blatant attempts by the far-right to infiltrate the farmer’s movement and further their fascistic agenda.”

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Footnote – the curious origins of “Our Free Town”

It’s not the most important thing to say, but for anyone interested in the backstory of “Our Free Town”, it’s worth us mentioning that the name is a rebrand. The initiative was launched with quite a lot of fanfare in November 2023. On the YouTube channel of conspiracy influencer Richard Vobes, Stroud was heralded as the first UK incarnation of the idea.

One Small Town is a project of South African “scientist” Michael Tellinger, who writes books about how humanity is a species created by aliens intending to use us as slaves to strip-mine our planet. The internet is peppered with examples of Tellinger’s bizarre legal subterfuges, including his attempt to avoid paying off his mortgage on the grounds that banks had created the money that they had lent him. There’s a Facebook page created by people who report on his various scams, including a free energy device.

Funnily enough, for someone who envisages a “world without money”, Tellinger seems quite happy to take ours. One Small Town is enabled by a cryptocurrency token (Tellinger’s own-brand version of Bitcoin), and he will sell you some – ironic, given the way that “The Light” rails against digital currency and alternatives to cash.

There’s hardly any mention of Tellinger, or his funny-money, or One Small Town, in Our Free Town publicity. Perhaps the group has moved away from this model, but regardless – this origin story is yet another example of the way in which this isn’t as positive or grassroots an initiative as it might first appear.

“Deportation is NOT a show, these are people’s lives”

The UK government’s recent handling of asylum seekers is deeply disturbing and concerning, particularly its decision to release footage of deportations. This move has been widely condemned as a form of “state cruelty as spectacle,” with critics arguing that it mirrors the American-style use of “trauma porn”—the exploitation of human suffering for political gain.In addition to the deportation footage, the Home Office has been increasing enforcement activities, including raids and arrests targeting individuals suspected of illegal immigration.

These actions are part of a broader strategy to demonstrate a tough approach to immigration control. Furthermore, the Home Office has paused the processing of asylum claims for thousands of Syrians, leaving many in a state of uncertainty. This decision has been met with criticism from human rights organizations, which argue that it exacerbates the vulnerability of individuals fleeing conflict.

As seen in the U.S., where images of border crackdowns and detention centers are often publicized to deter migration and rally nationalist sentiment, the UK government appears to be employing similar tactics. Labour MP Clive Lewis described the release of deportation footage as an attempt to “mainstream racism,” warning that such actions normalize dehumanization. In the U.S., graphic imagery of migrant families being separated or detained has been used to justify harsh policies, and the UK’s recent approach seems to be following the same blueprint.Beyond the optics, the Home Office has also escalated enforcement measures, including immigration raids and the mass freezing of asylum applications for thousands of Syrians. These policies leave vulnerable people in limbo while allowing the government to appear “tough” on immigration. However, as with American policies that rely on shocking visuals to shape public perception, the UK’s approach raises serious ethical questions.

Labour MP Clive Lewis criticized this move, stating that such footage “mainstreams racism,” and emphasized that “the government is enabling the mainstreaming of racism.”

We argue that such tactics not only fail to resolve the crisis but actively harm those seeking refuge.

“Deportation is NOT a show, these are people’s lives” quoted from Safe passage UK‘s statement on Instagram.

See also:

“Labour’s Deportation Broadcasts are a Shameful Display of Performative Cruelty” – UK Black Lives Matter on Instagram

“Lights, camera, and a new low: why is the government making Deportation TV” – Enver Solomon, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council in The Guardian

“Thousands of Syrians in limbo as UK Home Office freezes asylum claims” news story in The Guardian

“UK Government releases ‘cruel’ footage of migrants being deported“, news story in The National

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instagram.com/p/DF7-dhwt1W5 / facebook.com/CommunitySolidarityStroudDistrict/videos/1715730339006155

Opposing a far right ‘march’ in Cheltenham – report

Supporters of CSSD travelled to Cheltenham today to join dozens of people in gathering to oppose an advertised far-right “march” in the town. Whether they were put off by this organised opposition or the cold weather, no-one turned up to demonstrate in support of far-right organiser Tommy Robinson, currently in prison for contempt of court after repeating false claims about a Syrian refugee. Robinson has a long history of far-right organising, racist incitement, and has imprisoned several times previously – for assault (in 2005, plus a suspended sentence in 2011), for using false travel documents (2012), and for mortgage fraud (in 2014).

We’re delighted to report that the far right demonstration was so peaceful – no-one turned up. But we’re not complacent. All around us we see the rise of racism, xenophobia and far-right rhetoric. We will continue doing what we can to build community-led solidarity to oppose the hatred of minorities and oppressed people arising from false and harmful information. That includes turning out in numbers to make clear the far-right will face opposition if they ever attempt to organise in the streets of Gloucestershire.

Share on Facebook / Instagram:

See the embedded posts below or go tohttps://www.facebook.com/CommunitySolidarityStroudDistrict/posts/pfbid035rrMrZkAM8fqwfNNvZRMnw3AE6tfyfg3qNjtgkJ3XaetpVbpsLkK7p8hTwKnmRKl or https://www.instagram.com/p/DF1CfDkNtTG/ to share

Oppose the far right in Cheltenham, Saturday 8th February

We are supporting the call from the Gloucestershire branch of Unite Community to mobilise to show opposition to the far-right this weekend in Cheltenham.

This Saturday local trade unionists and campaigners will be gathering as of 11am. around the entrance Regents Arcade on High Street Cheltenham

Unite Community is a branch of Unite the Union open to retired and unemployed people. They say:

“Unite the Union is one of the TUC trade unions organising for the Hearts Union week. A protest entitled “Unite – Gloucestershire Patriots” is taking place this Saturday in Cheltenham .. this has nothing to do with UNITE, nothing to do with trade unions and is not in the interests of the working class that needs to stand united – white, Black, Asian people, irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, faith – against austerity and against racism and all forms of discrimination. United in Struggle – against austerity and racism.”

The far-right demonstration is due to begin at 12 noon in Montpelier Gardens – with Facebook posts advertising it claiming there will be a march down the Promenade/Montpelier walk to the High St” (see screenshot below)

Trade unionists, antifascists and antiracists will be gathering as of 11am. around the entrance Regents Arcade on High Street Cheltenham.

Organisers Unite Community Gloucestershire say: “The proposal is we meet in the High Street an hour earlier and decide the next steps… we need numbers – the far right are manipulating people worried about rents, winter fuel allowances, poor housing and linking that to a racist, anti migrant message. Local trade unions need to make clear that we are the ones who can and will fight on all workplace, social and economic issues”.

Please join if you can – travel in groups or with buddies especially in the vicinity of Montpelier Gardens.

We do not know how large the far right demonstration will be, see below for more advice on keeping yourselves and others safe.

Share the call to rally on Instagram
Share the call to mobilise from Gloucester and District Trades Council on Facebook
Practical Protest Tips from Liberty
Tips for Mobilising Against Fascists Coming to Your Area, from the Antifascist Network

The far-right demonstration, organised “against mass immigration and the solitary confinement of TR” [“Tommy Robinson”, or Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – founder of the English Defence League and currently imprisoned for contempt of court, repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee through a screening of a film, in contravention of an order from the High Court. As we wrote in our article about the way in which “The Light” paper promotes the far right, in response to their article praising Robinson, Robinson is one of the most well known far right activists in Britain.

He was the founder of the violent far right street movement the ‘English Defence League’. Before this he was a member of the far right British National Party. He was a co-founder of far right Islamophobic organisation Pegida UK. Robinson has a long history of far-right organising, racist incitement, and has previously been imprisoned for for assault (in 2005, plus a suspended sentence in 2011), for using false travel documents (2012), and for mortgage fraud (in 2014).

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Below is the publicity for the far-right demonstration we were alerted to earlier this week:

apologies for the short notice but next Saturday the 8th of February we will be organising a strictly PEACEFUL demonstration against mass immigration and the solitary confinement of TR we will meet 12pm montpellier gardens, cheltenham and we will be marching down montpellier walk/ promenade towards the high street. Please feel free to bring your flags, posters, banners etc but please keep it peaceful and not draw a bad name to ourselves. Let's unite the patriots of Gloucestershire! please share if able @stoptheisolation

Holocaust Memorial Day event 2025, Sunday January 26th 2-3pm

We will hold our annual Holocaust Memorial Day event at the Lansdown Hall (as we did last year) from 2-3pm on Sunday January 26th. More information below.

This Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.

The event will be presented by Adam Horovitz, poet and member of Community Solidarity Stroud District, and will feature the following speakers from anti-racist, community and faith groups:

The Stroud Red Band will also perform at a variety of points during the event

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s Theme for 2025 is “For a better future”. They say: “There are many things we can all do to create a better future. We can speak up against Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion; we can challenge prejudice; we can encourage others to learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides.”

We look forward to seeing you at what we hope will be a powerful event.

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