Officers accused Laura Murton who also had a sign saying ‘Free Gaza’ of supporting a proscribed organisation

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/15885857

In the encounter, which she filmed, one officer told her: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government.”

He went on to say that the phrase “Free Gaza” was “supportive of Palestine Action”, adding it was an offence “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act”. The officer told her she had committed that offence.

…

The ban on Palestine Action, the first against a direct action protest group, came into force on 5 July after a high court judge refused to grant the group’s co-founder Huda Ammori an injunction suspending it while legal action was pending.

One of the police officers told Murton they were “trying to be fair”, adding: “We could have jumped out, arrested you, dragged you off in a van.”

  • LilB0kChoy@midwest.socialEnglish
    17·
    2 days ago

    Another good indicator is that the police in the US don’t actually know what the law is most of the time.

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      2 days ago

      IIRC there was a precedent that police aren’t expected to know the law, as long as they act “in good faith” under their best understanding of the law. This resulted in an almost immediate end to all attempts to provide legal training to police, because ignorance of the law is actually a defense, but only for cops.

      • LilB0kChoy@midwest.socialEnglish
        6·
        2 days ago

        I think you’re right though it varies by locale. I live in Minnesota and here police officers are required to have a college education and part of that is learning and being tested on both the criminal and traffic code. You’re not expected to have it all memorized but you are supposed to have reviewed it and understood it.