Concerns over whether civil society can function are growing – now serious questions are being asked of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Its director Ben Jamal told MPs in December that “alongside the national marches, we have called for days of action, where people have marched and held protests and vigils in towns and cities across the UK. We have not specifically organised or called for demonstrations outside MPs’ offices“. Then, during Wednesday’s Gaza debate chaos, Jamal told protestors: “We want so many of you to come that they will have to lock the doors of parliament itself” and called for them to “ramp up pressure” on MPs. That pressure has led to protests in increasingly private locations.

Two days later, Anneliese Dodds was harassed and protestors stormed a Tory fundraiser in Stoke from which MP Aaron Bell had to be warned off arriving by the police. The Stoke Palestine Solidarity Campaign declared itself responsible of the attack, which was led by ex Hizb-ut Tahrir member Tayyib Muqeem. The central Palestine Solidarity Campaign has, on top of this, taken ownership of the Stoke branch. Three arrests have been made so far…

David Spencer, Head of Crime and Justice at Policy Exchange, now slams the Palestine Solidarity Campaign: “We are now seeing an increase in groups such as the PSC seeking to apply pressure to Members of Parliament. While there may well be qualified rights to freedom of speech and assembly there is no right to harass, abuse or intimidate. Police chiefs must take robust action to protect Parliamentarians and enforce the law. Our democratic settlement is at stake.” Intimidation is a threat to the normal operation of British politics…

Read the PSC’s celebratory post about the attack below: