London, United Kingdom – Civil rights groups and Palestine solidarity campaigners are accusing the UK regime of employing 'intimidation tactics' following the recent re-arrest of two young pro-Palestinian activists who were previously released on bail. The detentions have intensified scrutiny of the regime's crackdown on dissent amid ongoing protests against Israel's war in Gaza.
On Monday, 21-year-old Qesser Zuhrah was detained after sharing a social media post calling for 'direct action'. Masked officers handcuffed her at dawn at her home in Watford. She had been released on bail just a month earlier after spending 15 months in prison awaiting trial, during which she participated in a prolonged hunger strike. Four days prior, plainclothes police in south London arrested 23-year-old Audrey Corno, accusing her of tampering with her electronic tag in breach of bail conditions – a charge she denies, describing the arrest as 're-traumatising' and unexpected.
Both activists were previously imprisoned over their alleged involvement in separate 2024 raids on military hardware manufacturers, actions claimed by the direct action group Palestine Action, which targets companies linked to the Israeli war machine. Although the UK High Court ruled in February that the regime's ban on Palestine Action as a 'terrorist' organisation was unlawful, support for the group remains illegal as the government prepares for an appeal later this month. Counterterrorism police stated that Zuhrah's latest charge relates to 'encouraging or assisting' criminal damage via social media posts.
Naila Ahmed, head of campaigns at CAGE International, asserted that Zuhrah's 'rearrest' is part of an 'active repression' targeting pro-Palestine activists across the UK. She criticized the regime's use of terrorism legislation, stating: 'These laws were designed precisely to criminalise political speech and dissent, and that is exactly what they are doing here.' Corno alleged that officials are using 'intimidation tactics' because several charges against Palestine Action-linked activists have been dropped and dozens released on bail, suggesting the arrests are a reaction to failed prosecutions, such as the acquittal of all 'Filton 24' activists in a related case.
The arrests occur amid escalating friction between police and Britain's significant Palestine solidarity movement, with a major march scheduled for Saturday expected to heighten tensions. Thousands of peaceful protesters have been arrested in recent months for displaying signs stating: 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action'. While London's Met Police had refrained from detaining protesters following the High Court's ruling, it recently reversed that policy, making mass arrests likely once again. Meanwhile, a court is set to rule on the case of Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Ben Jamal and Stop the War Coalition's Chris Nineham, accused of breaching protest restrictions in January 2025.
The UK regime, led by Labour leader Keir Starmer, has long faced accusations of suppressing pro-Palestine solidarity due to a wave of arrests during demonstrations and its proscription of Palestine Action. Human Rights Watch has reportedly found a 'disproportionate targeting of certain groups, including climate change activists and Palestine protesters, undermining the right to protest freely and without fear of harassment'. According to YouGov polling, one in three Britons has 'no sympathy at all for the Israeli side in the conflict' after Israel's offensive killed over 72,000 people in Gaza, highlighting deep public divisions over the regime's stance.
Source: www.aljazeera.com