On Friday 6 March, the Zionism Is Racism Defence Campaign announced that Nottinghamshire Police had informed the campaign that they were dropping their investigation against a black anti-Zionist singled out for arrest at a picket organised by the Revolutionary Communist Group in Nottingham on 8 February (https://tinyurl.com/uvmc6zn). This victory comes after a month of concerted political campaigning against the arrest. Nottingham RCG sprang into action immediately upon the arrest to secure the activist’s release; and quickly set up alongside others the Zionism Is Racism Defence Campaign to organise meetings, demonstrations, and a petition which we took out to working class people across Nottingham.
That Nottinghamshire Police are dropping the investigation is an important victory; but as Nottingham RCG stated at the time ‘this wrongful and racist arrest must be put into the context of the ongoing campaign to criminalise opposition to Zionism (a form of racism) – both in Palestine itself, and in Britain especially following the adoption of the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism.’ That campaign to criminalise Palestine solidarity, and to further normalise the racist standpoint of Zionism, continues; and so must the fight to build links of solidarity with the Palestinian resistance to racist Zionism.
That is why it is important that, even after this victory, supporters of the Palestinian people in Nottingham and beyond attend the Zionism Is Racism Defence Campaign’s upcoming events, details of which can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ql8op6g
Our victory will not prevent us from pursuing our legal case against the police for their unlawful arrest of our comrade. Nottinghamshire Police will not get away with the criminalisation of solidarity with Palestine and their attempts to intimidate those who stand with the Palestinian people. We will report further on the case on this website.
Zionism Is Racism!
Defend Solidarity With Palestine!
