The Board of Deputies has released a statement following the verdicts in the cases of Palestine Action activists accused of aggravated burglary and violent disorder during a break-in at a UK subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm.
“We are concerned by the troubling verdicts acquitting members of Palestine Action, an organisation that has been proscribed as a terrorist group, and whose activities have included targeting businesses linked to the Jewish community in London and Manchester.
While it is important to respect the integrity of the judicial process, there is a serious danger of perverse justifications being used as a shield for criminality. It cannot be the case that those who commit serious criminal acts, including violent assaults, are able to evade the consequences of their actions.
We look to the Government to provide clear direction in tackling hate crime and extremist violence. This incident underlines the urgency of the Home Office’s current review into public order and hate crime legislation.
We are grateful to the officers who attended the scene and the CPS for prosecuting this case. We urge the prosecution to proceed with a retrial in respect of those charges where the jury was unable to reach a verdict, particularly given the severity of the injury suffered by Police Sergeant Evans.”
Photo credit: Adam Murphy / Alamy
