On 29 April the Crime and Policing Act received royal assent. The Act introduces a raft of measures to further criminalise the working class and crush dissent (see ‘Policing bill: criminalising the working class’, FRFI 305). Such measures include:
• The introduction of ‘respect orders’ which will allow the courts to impose conditions on anyone over 18 who has ‘engaged in’ or ‘threatens to engage in’ anti-social behaviour without being convicted of a crime.
• The introduction of ‘youth diversion orders’ which will allow the courts to impose conditions on anyone under the age of 22 who has ‘on the balance of probabilities’ committed a terrorism-related offence. This is another attack on young supporters of Palestine.
• A whole host of police powers that further erode our right to protest. The police will now be able to consider ‘cumulative disruption’ when deciding what conditions to put on protests that are repeatedly held in the same area. This measure was relentlessly lobbied for by pro-Zionist organisations and politicians because it will make it easier for the police to ban protests..
So-called ‘progressive’ and ‘pro-Palestine’ Labour MPs, including John McDonnell, voted for the Act despite it allowing the state to intensify its attacks on the Palestine solidarity movement. In doing so they have revealed their utter bankruptcy.
In order to defend the interests of British imperialism, the Labour government will attack the working class and is prepared to crush any movement that emerges to challenge it. The Crime and Policing Act is another weapon in the state’s arsenal to do just that. We must fight back.
Kotsai Sigauke
