Sally Rooney has hailed the high court’s decision that it was unlawful to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws as a victory for civil liberties in Britain. The Irish author gave two witness statements in support of the case brought by Huda Ammori, a co-founder of the direct action group, which were cited as evidence of the ban’s negative impact on freedom of expression.
Ministers suffered a humiliating legal defeat last week when three senior judges ruled that proscription of Palestine Action, which targets organisations it considers complicit in arming Israel, was disproportionate and unlawful. Following the ruling, Rooney said she intended to use proceeds from her works to support the group. In September, she cancelled a trip to the UK to receive an award for fear of arrest.
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Rooney said: 'I am of course immensely pleased and heartened that the high court has found the proscription of Palestine Action unlawful. This is a victory not only for the Palestine solidarity movement but also for civil liberties in Britain.' She added that the proscription represented 'a truly extreme assault on ordinary rights and freedoms'.
While the judges found in favour of Ammori, they rejected the idea that Palestine Action was non-violent or engaged in civil disobedience, describing it as an organisation that 'promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality'. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, expressed disappointment and said she would appeal the judgment, citing the court’s findings on violence.
Rooney disagreed with the court’s characterisation, arguing that violence implies harm to a living being. 'Palestine Action does intentionally use property damage in service of a campaign against genocide and apartheid. This is absolutely consistent with the tradition of civil disobedience, from the suffragettes to the environmental movement,' she said. Rooney questioned whether damaging property becomes violence if the property belongs to someone else, calling it a philosophical question.
