A judicial review overturning the Labour government’s proscription of Palestine Action was a very welcome surprise to pro-Palestinian campaigners last week.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has indicated that she intends to appeal the decision; the law remains in force for now and is creating plenty of debate. Missing from these discussions, though, is the court ruling’s broader significance, especially when considered in the context of the historic role of nonviolent direct action.
Under the law, ‘nonviolent’ means an incident involved no violence to people but may have caused disruption or damage to property. It is best explored at two levels: the frequency at which protesters are acquitted in jury trials, including recent examples relating to Gaza, and the much wider issue of whether direct action can be an important part of historic and long-lasting social change.
