Palestine Action Protests: Arrests

Baroness Chakrabarti Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

This Government—and I personally—have no time for antisemitism. We will take action against it; we will look at the review and the reports that have been made and respond to the recommendations in due course. I hope the noble Lord will be aware that antisemitism is a curse on our society, one that we should tackle very strongly, and this Government will do so. I hope that with his support we will continue to look at how we can build bridges to ensure that antisemitism is no longer a feature of our society.

[Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)]

My Lords, I am quite convinced from listening to these exchanges that my noble friend the Minister well understands the relevant law here, but I am not so convinced that the police do. Does he realise that if they continue to fail to make distinctions between support for a proscribed organisation, opposing the proscription, protesting events in the Middle East or indeed holding up Private Eye cartoons, their behaviour will only call further into question the wisdom, proportionality and legality of the original proscription decision?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend. I can only repeat to this House that I believe the proscription order is clear in relation to the offences that potentially could be committed under that order. It is for the police to make judgment. I am not even going to second-guess the arrests that have been made, because I do not know the details of why they have been made and it is not appropriate for Ministers to delve into that matter. We set the framework, then the police investigate, execute and bring to the CPS. That is the way the rule of law works in this country.