A note from our Editor-in-Chief:
Thank you for subscribing to Zeteo UK. We are still in soft-launch mode till September as we finish recruiting our team, but given the craziness of the British news cycle right now, we will be publishing stories, op-eds and interviews, like this one with Reverend Sue Parfitt, on a semi-regular basis between now and then. Please do become a paid subscriber today so you can read and watch all of our Zeteo UK original content without hitting a paywall – and also so you can help fund independent journalism in Britain. - Mehdi Hasan
Since the Labour government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation on in July 2025, more than 3,000 arrests have been made under the Terrorism Act. Many of those arrested and then charged with supporting a terrorist organisation were simply holding signs which said, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, an offence which now carries up to six months in prison. The sight of peaceful protestors – many of them pensioners – being carried off by police caused outrage across the political spectrum.
When the Court of Appeal upheld the ban in June this year, and the judge in the trial of the Palestine Action members known as the Filton 4 sentenced them as terrorists without the knowledge of the jury, some protestors took things further. Rather than simply stating their support for the group, they publicly encouraged others to support Palestine Action as well. This is a much more serious offence, and can result in a 14-year prison term.
Among them is 84-year-old Revd Sue Parfitt. She has been arrested more than 30 times, for antiwar and climate activism and – most recently – for taking part in protests against the proscription of Palestine Action.
Watch Mehdi’s interview with her above, in which she talks about the actions she took part in, how she feels about the prospect of spending 14 years in jail, her message to new prime minister Andy Burnham and how “baffling” she finds the U.S. Evangelical Christians who blindly support Israel.
If you are a paid subscriber, you can watch the full half-hour interview, above, without a paywall. If you are a free subscriber, you can watch a 5-minute preview, so please do consider upgrading to a paid subscription today and supporting independent journalism in the UK.
(And or those of you who are paid subscribers, do also feel free to join the conversation in the comments.)
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