As imperialist states across North America and Europe ramp up their attacks against Palestine solidarity, there is an urgent need to build greater solidarity with those targeted by repression. After relentless organising on the streets, the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG), SOAS 2 Defence Campaign and Partisan Defence Committee set out to organise a webinar on how this solidarity should continue to be built, on which political principles, and with whom. Over a hundred people attended this event on 1 March, with attendees at in-person watch parties in Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham and London. It aptly took place on the first day of spring, intended as it was to rejuvenate the struggle.
The webinar featured a range of speakers from the front lines of the struggle against repression:
- Charlotte Kates who as international coordinator of Samidoun is one of the leading proponents in the world today of the Palestinian prisoner struggle.
- Marxist lawyer Franck Maggenis who is representing Hamas in their deproscription case against the British state and who is a member of Riverway to the Sea.
- Momodou Taal, the fearless former Cornell PhD student activist who sued the Trump administration to highlight the attacks on freedom of expression in solidarity with Palestine.
- Sarah of the SOAS 2 and RCG who is facing serious charges under the Terrorism Act for daring to support the rights of the Palestinian people to armed resistance.
- Kat of the Partisan Defence Committee (initiated by the Spartacist League) who is battling sectarianism on the left to remind organisations and activists that an attack on one is an attack on all.
- Zarona of German organisation Palestine on Trial who conducts political work in a country where state repression is at fever pitch.
Participants were bowled over by the high calibre of speakers who made clear the absolute necessity of tirelessly fighting on the streets and in the courts against the state repression of the Palestine movement. As Charlotte said, ‘The purpose of state repression is to advance the genocide in Palestine.’
Samidoun the Palestinian prisoner solidarity network works against the isolation of Palestinian prisoners, the leaders of the resistance. Zionism relies on their isolation so Samidoun has been targeted with the organisation banned in Canada and Germany and sanctioned by the US.
Charlotte spoke about the importance of supporting the Palestinian resistance and the rejection of criminalisation in all of its forms, whether that be of armed resistance groups or solidarity organisations. She explained that the perpetuation of Zionism was necessary for the perpetuation of imperialism in the Middle East.
Franck discussed the importance of politically using the law and the problem of how our own lawyers can often frustrate our aims. He quoted Lenin on this point:
‘Lawyers should be kept well in hand and made to toe the line, for there is no telling what dirty tricks this intellectualist scum will be up to. They should be warned in advance: Look here, you confounded rascal, if you permit yourself the slightest impropriety or political opportunism (if you speak of socialism as something immature or wrong-headed, or as an infatuation, or if you say that the Social-Democrats reject the use of force, speak of their teachings and their movement as peaceful, etc., or anything of the sort), then I, the defendant, will pull you up publicly, right then and there, call you a scoundrel, declare that I reject such a defence, etc. And these threats must be carried out. Only clever lawyers should be engaged; we do not need others.’
He argued for the need to take the fight to the streets in order to win in the courts and the necessity of opposing the Terrorism Act 2000 in its entirety.
An application launched in 2025 to deproscribe Hamas was denied by the then-home secretary, Yvette Cooper. A further appeal is being filed. The RCG supports this application. You can follow the case at hamascase.com
Momodou spoke of being hounded by the US state, demanding he hand himself into ICE, for his involvement in a protest against a recruitment drive on campus for arms companies. Zionist organisations have passed on the names of students and faculty to the US government for deportation. He made the point that speaking about Palestinian resistance has been purposefully criminalised.
Sarah spoke of how the Terrorism Act 2000 was an extension of the 1974 Prevention of Terrorism Act which was used to criminalise the armed resistance of the Irish liberation struggle. The 2000 law was used to broaden the reach to attack all national liberation struggles. Sarah faces up to 14 years in prison if found guilty. Since day one, the SOAS 2 Defence Campaign has launched a political, public response to demand the charges are dropped and the TA 2000 is scrapped completely. She has spoken outside court hearings, police stations and prisons for a long list of activists who have faced charges. This has been vital in connecting struggles and keeping people mobilised around the defence campaign.
Kat commented on the Palestine movement arguing that the marches have not been effective because the leadership of the movement (the Palestine Solidarity Campaign) have confined the politics to what is acceptable to the Labour Party and that the RCG has quite rightly and effectively denounced the PSC for this role. She spoke of the need to build a revolutionary pole against the liberal leadership.
Zarona spoke of how state repression in Berlin on the question of Palestine solidarity is more intense than any other country in Europe. She explained how police brutality is widespread, that people are reported to the police by university leadership, that friends report friends for social media posts, and that while many charges are dropped the process is punishment enough, designed as it is to exhaust and silence activists.
In the discussion and Q&A section of the meeting the point was made that there has rightly been a defence of Palestine Action and others engaging in direct action or non-violent protest, however this is not translated into support for those political activists targeted by other sections of the TA 2000, namely for supporting the right of the Palestinian people to armed resistance, and that we must extend solidarity in that direction.
Sarah concluded the meeting by reminding comrades that that the struggle on the streets wins victory in the courts, that the Palestinian resistance is a death knell for imperialism and that the state has its tools and we have ours – we need to mobilise!
Resistance is not terrorism! Defend the right to protest – drop the charges now!
Join the SOAS 2 for their next court hearing on 5 June and when the trial begins on 22 June.
See below how you can find out more about the different campaigns and support them financially and with your time:
Defend the SOAS 2 – Defend free speech on Palestine https://share.google/CA8GkBLqJmH1LQp8F
Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network https://share.google/LYjYbeHM1iyeFnRDo
Riverway to the Sea https://share.google/YCZ96wF1QlV22NNN2
The Hamas Case https://share.google/S25zQfWiyhsD5sTqj
Partisan Defence Committee https://www.instagram.com/partisandefencecommittee
Spartacist League/Britain | ICL https://share.google/PhNa71NC8waegXl3v
Palestine on Trial https://www.instagram.com/palestine.on.trial