The Guardian view on proscribing Palestine Action: blurring civil disobedience and terrorism is a dangerous step | Editorial

A ban on the direct action group – backed by MPs on Wednesday – looks like disturbing overreach by the stateWhen the Labour government introduced anti-terrorism legislation 25 years ago, it stressed that it was targeting extreme crimes. “Terrorism involves the threat or use of serious violence for political, religious or ideological ends. It … aims to create a climate of extreme fear,” said Jack Straw, the then home secretary.Some MPs still feared that a group like Greenpeace, which had destroyed genetically modified crops and temporarily halted nuclear weapons production at Aldermaston, might be proscribed. Mr Straw reassured them that such bans would be used only when absolutely necessary; he knew of “no evidence whatever” that the actions of the environmental group “would fall remotely under [its] scope”.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

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