Why Was A 74 Year Old Woman Arrested in Belfast for Wearing a T-Shirt?
Image Credit: BBC
Why Was A 74 Year Old Woman Arrested in Belfast for Wearing a T-Shirt?
Text: Izzy Copestale
On the same day as the woman was arrested in Belfast, 466 people were arrested in London for supporting Palestine Action in a protest.
On Saturday August 9th, a 74 year old woman was arrested at a peaceful protest in Belfast for one crime: wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt. Videos posted online show police in Belfast informing the woman that she was being arrested on suspicion of “possessing an article, namely a sign or T-shirt, that indicates support for Palestine Action”. The woman was released the following day.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government back in July of this year, after direct action from the group targeted companies linked to the Israeli arms trade and the subsequent massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, most notably Elbit Systems.
The group used tactics such as occupying buildings, defacing property, and halting weapons production. They insisted that their actions were non-violent civil disobedience in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza, but the government argued that its tactics has made the group a “violent organisation” and a threat to national security. The decision to ban it under the UK’s terrorism legislation was unsurprisingly heavily criticised by human rights groups, who warned it marked a dangerous blurring of the line between protest and terrorism, especially in the context of the UK’s direct complicity in Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza.
Anyone who is a member of Palestine Action can face serious legal consequences. Under the Terrorism Act, anything from membership to inviting support carry penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Symbolic acts like displaying the logo can lead to arrests, fines, or prosecution.
Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland director at Amnesty International UK, called the arrest of the protester “outrageous.”
“Peaceful protest is a basic human right,” he said, adding that many people are “justifiably angered by the ongoing genocide in Gaza” and “concerned about UK complicity.” According to Corrigan, international human rights law fully protects their right to speak out.
He stated that the woman attending the Refugees Welcome rally in Belfast was not advocating violence and that it was “wholly disproportionate for the PSNI to treat her as a terrorist.” Corrigan also warned that “UK terrorism laws pose a serious risk to free expression,” and argued the government should focus on “taking swift and decisive measures to end Israel’s genocide” rather than targeting peaceful demonstrators.
On the same day as the woman was arrested in Belfast, 466 people were arrested in London for supporting Palestine Action in a protest.
This arrest in Belfast reflects a deeply troubling shift in how the UK is policing pro-Palestinian voices. Rather than using its international influence to condemn and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza, which has killed over 15,600 children, the UK is arresting elderly citizens for peacefully opposing that violence. When pensioners wearing T-shirts are treated as terrorists, it’s clear that silencing dissent is being prioritised over over defending basic human rights.
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