According to a report by the European Legal Support Center, a group of advocates highlights a troubling ‘repression index’ that includes defamation, harassment, job loss, and arrests. Over the past six years, more than 900 instances of repression have been documented across the UK, targeting those who show solidarity with Palestinians, which is increasingly being labeled as ‘silencing, criminalization, and sanctions.’
These actions against Palestinian supporters in the UK are often justified under claims of anti-Semitism or terrorism support. The primary agents of this repression include the police (220 cases), educational institutions (192), pro-Israel groups (141), and journalists and other media activists (141).Bob Trafford from Forensic Architecture, who contributed to this report, stated in a press conference that the painstakingly collected data from the European Legal Support Center reveals the workings of a system that is not centrally directed but is organic, multifaceted, self-reinforcing, and mutually exacerbating.
This system aims to impose unbearable personal costs on individuals who act or speak based on their conscience, while simultaneously diminishing civil society’s capacity to denounce genocide and demand decisive action from our governments. The Guardian reported that students, academics, and teachers (336 cases) are among the most frequently targeted, followed by activists and organizers (229 cases).The report indicates that Palestinian supporters are often targeted in various ways with artists and cultural activists frequently facing visa cancellations (71 cases).
Saja Iqbal a teacher and member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Redbridge shared her experience with reporters. After she and others visited a local store to remove Israeli products from the shelves and covered their shopping cart with a Palestinian flag she lost her job. The protesters also submitted a letter to the store manager explaining their actions and requesting a boycott of such products. Iqbal noted that her name and school were published in the press affecting her physical and mental well-being.
Iqbal stated ‘This is what they do to silence me and all workers who speak out. I have committed no criminal offense; I have merely exercised my democratic right.’
