The UK government has warned Irish novelist Sally Rooney against funding Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group recently banned as a “terrorist” organization.
The prime minister’s office stated that “support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act” and cautioned against backing such groups.
In an opinion piece published in the Irish Times, Rooney expressed her intention to continue supporting Palestine Action, despite the ban.
“Activists who disrupt the flow of weapons to a genocidal regime may violate petty criminal statutes, but they uphold a far greater law and a more profound human imperative: to protect a people and culture from annihilation,”
she wrote. Rooney also stated that she would use her public platform and proceeds from her work to support Palestine Action and direct action against genocide.
The novelist’s decision to support Palestine Action has sparked controversy, with the UK government warning her that her actions could be considered a criminal offense.
Rooney, however, remains resolute in her stance, criticizing the government’s move to ban the group.
“I feel obliged to state once more that, like the hundreds of protesters arrested last weekend, I too support Palestine Action. If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it,” she said.
Palestine Action was banned by the UK government after its activists broke into a military base in central England and sprayed red paint on two planes in protest against the UK’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
The group has been accused of committing serious attacks, and the government has deemed it a threat to national security.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the proscription, stating that “UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority” and emphasizing that “the assessments are very clear – this is not a nonviolent organisation”.
The ban on Palestine Action has led to a significant number of arrests, with over 700 supporters detained at peaceful protests since July. More than 500 people were arrested at a protest in London’s Parliament Square on August 9 for displaying placards backing the group.
At least 60 of those arrested are due to face prosecution. The police have been criticized for their handling of the protests, with many questioning the legitimacy of the arrests.