Freedom republishes NetPol’s callout in the last few days of responding – by 29 February 2024:

Since the start of October 2023, there have been weekly protests around the world calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the relentless slaughter of Palestinians and a halt on the export of weapons used against civilians by the Israeli government.

Netpol is preparing a report on the policing of Palestine protests – and we need you to send us your experiences. Email us at palestinereport@protonmail.com.

In England and Wales, these protests have faced increasingly severe police restrictions, have been vilified as “hate marches”, and there have been calls for the outright banning of demonstrations. Hundreds have been arrested, and in some instances, protesters have been accused of antisemitism and “glorifying terrorism”. Netpol has been informed of the referral of campaigners to the government’s Prevent counter-radicalisation programme and police officers following individuals after protests or turning up without warning at their homes.

Despite what has often felt like a deliberate toxic campaign by the media and politicians to close down space for Palestine solidarity, the number of protests has continued to grow, and people have refused to bow to intimidation.

Netpol and the legal support groups that make up our coalition continue to gather extensive evidence of the way British police tactics have been used to disrupt and deter Palestinian solidarity activities, even as the extraordinary number of dead and injured in Gaza has led to accusations that Israel is engaged in war crimes and genocide.

Call for first-hand evidence

Now, Netpol plans to gather these stories, interviews, and statistics, with context and analysis, into a comprehensive report that can support campaigners in defending their fundamental right to protest in defence of the Palestinian people. We have commissioned Professor Gargi Bhattacharyya to work with us to produce the report – and we also need your help.

Send us your testimony

If you have attended Palestine solidarity protests anywhere in England and Wales – not just the national and regional marches but local actions too – and experienced any of the following during or in the immediate aftermath, we want to hear from you:

• Police pressure on Palestine solidarity public meeting venues (and the reasons given)
• Filming by police of local rallies or marches
• Home or workplace visits by police to prominent campaigners
• Police racism, including the targeting of campaigners from Muslim backgrounds and other racialised communities
• Warnings given to young people about attending demonstrations
• Police action following referrals to the government’s ‘Prevent’ programme over concerns about “radicalisation”
• Police officers challenging the wording of placards, banners, chants and leaflets at demonstrations (including officers insisting protesters wait for ‘specialist officers’)
• Arrests and charges for alleged racially aggravated offences or ‘hate crimes’
• Arrests under counter-terrorism legislation, including for alleged support for Hamas
• Arrests and charges arising from direct action and civil disobedience
• Excessive force used to make arrests
• Other concerns you may have about the conduct of police officers

You can share your evidence and testimony by writing a statement or sharing video and securely emailing it to palestinereport@protonmail.com.

Netpol also has a secure form you may prefer to use at: https://shorturl.at/nHUZ6

What is the deadline?

We need your responses by 29 February 2024

By sharing your evidence and testimony with us, you consent for Netpol to publish it, although we will maintain your confidentiality and not publicly share your name.

How to write your statement

The statement does not have to sound like a legal or court statement but should be an account of what happened to you:

• Who was involved in the incident?
• Where and when did it happen?
• How long did it take?
• What exactly did the police do, and how did that make you feel?
• Did it have any consequences for you so far?
• Are there any pictures, or is there footage of what happened?

Need help?

You can email palestinereport@protonmail.com, and we will try to guide you through the process of submitting your testimony.

Image: Guy Smallman