Sally Rooney has welcomed the high court's decision that the government's proscription of Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws was unlawful, describing it as a victory for civil liberties in Britain. The Irish author, who gave two witness statements in support of the legal challenge brought by Huda Ammori, said she was “immensely pleased and heartened” by the ruling.
The high court found last week that the ban on the direct action group, which targets organisations it considers complicit in arming Israel, was disproportionate and represented a “very significant interference” with freedom of speech and assembly. Rooney said the proscription under the Terrorism Act was “an extreme assault on ordinary rights and freedoms”.
Following the ruling, the author of Normal People said she intended to use proceeds from her works to support Palestine Action. In September, she cancelled a trip to the UK to receive an award for fear of arrest.
However, the judges rejected the argument that Palestine Action was non-violent, describing it as an organisation that “promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality”. Rooney contested this characterisation, arguing that the word “violence” implies harm to a living being and that property damage in service of a campaign against genocide and apartheid is consistent with civil disobedience.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disappointment at the judgment, citing the court's findings on criminality, and said she intended to appeal. “Home secretaries must retain the ability to take action to protect our national security and keep the public safe,” she said.
