{"id":26195,"date":"2021-02-04T13:26:46","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T13:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=546698"},"modified":"2021-02-04T13:26:46","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T13:26:46","slug":"police-accused-of-harassment-after-palestine-action-co-founder-arrested-for-blackmail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/02\/04\/police-accused-of-harassment-after-palestine-action-co-founder-arrested-for-blackmail\/","title":{"rendered":"Police accused of \u2018harassment\u2019 after Palestine Action co-founder arrested for blackmail"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Palestine Action co-founder Richard Goddard was <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1357090627649945602\">arrested<\/a> for blackmail on 3 February, just days after the group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/uk\/news\/2021\/02\/01\/protest-groups-join-forces-to-occupy-israeli-arms-company-building\/\">launched<\/a> a joint action with Extinction Rebellion that shut down the premises of Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems.<\/p>\n<p>The arrest, which was <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1357090627649945602\">filmed<\/a>, took place <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/arrested-blackmail\/\">at around<\/a> 3pm and Goddard was taken to Fresh Wharf Custody Base, London. Both he and co-founder Huda Ammori reportedly had their passports seized during the raid. Palestine Action has accused the police of &#8216;harassment&#8217;:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"3dZQjYfhUKk9aADtNoIR0gFT5VMr7ESps\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Harassing, unnecessary, persecutory &amp; intrusive police arrest of Palestine Action co-founder for &quot;blackmail&quot; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ACAB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ACAB<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ShutElbitDown<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ivZn3HGev5\">pic.twitter.com\/ivZn3HGev5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Palestine Action (@Pal_action) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1357090627649945602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 3, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Ammori said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The only thing we can assume this is about is [Palestine Action] demanding that companies do not associate with war criminals, and if they do we will take action. This is not blackmail. This is asking for companies to abide by International Law and Human Rights Conventions.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This is just another extension of harassment by the police. We will not be deterred by police harassment; we will only grow stronger and call on everyone to join us in forcing war criminals out.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h5>Elbit Systems<\/h5>\n<p>As\u00a0<em>The Canary<\/em> previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/discovery\/analysis-discovery\/2020\/09\/16\/a-new-campaign-is-challenging-uk-complicity-in-israeli-apartheid-and-it-really-means-business\/\">reported<\/a>, Palestine Action was set up in 2020 and has carried out numerous actions against Elbit Systems because it is:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">Israel\u2019s largest private weapons manufacturer<\/a>. It is responsible for manufacturing a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">majority<\/a>\u00a0of the drones used to drop bombs on Palestinians in Gaza, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">owns<\/a>\u00a0IMI Systems. IMI\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">is<\/a>\u00a0the sole supplier of small calibre ammunition to the Israeli army, who use it in their violent military occupation of Palestine.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">UEL [a factory owned by Elbit Systems] is <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/?page_id=272\">accused<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uavenginesltd.co.uk\/products\/\">manufacturing<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/armadainternational.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/1.3UAV-poster-2016.pdf\">engines<\/a>\u00a0for the Hermes 450 drone. The Hermes 450 is one of the drones which Israel has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">used<\/a>\u00a0to fire missiles into the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theintercept.com\/2018\/08\/11\/israel-palestine-drone-strike-operation-protective-edge\/\">According to<\/a>\u00a0<em>The Intercept,\u00a0<\/em>a Hermes 450 was deployed during an attack that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">killed four boys<\/a>\u00a0from the Bakr family during Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza in 2014.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h5>Solidarity<\/h5>\n<p>Palestine Action is calling on people to take action over the arrest:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"vrchKPEFymokx8XiM0gJLUnZsaCu1d2TIlfz9S54Ob7AYBwNGjq3RtQW\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Join the protest at the police station, join us; donate; don&#39;t do nothing; we have to make a stand for the sake of humanity \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1q0pkJxH5I\">https:\/\/t.co\/1q0pkJxH5I<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ajiwywclz1\">pic.twitter.com\/Ajiwywclz1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Palestine Action (@Pal_action) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1357046957492080640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 3, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Goddard&#8217;s arrest is just the latest action taken by the police against Palestine Action activists. This has included <a href=\"https:\/\/electronicintifada.net\/blogs\/asa-winstanley\/uk-turns-counterterror-law-repress-palestine-action\">using<\/a> counterterror laws and house raids.<\/p>\n<p>Palestine Action is being targeted for taking action against an arms company. It&#8217;s down to all of us that we stand in solidarity with those facing repression for trying to stop this murderous trade.<\/p>\n<p><em>Featured image <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1305512974057197568\">via<\/a> Palestine Action<\/em><\/p>\n<p>By <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/author\/joeglenton\/\">Joe Glenton<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/trending\/2021\/02\/04\/police-accused-of-harassment-after-palestine-action-co-founder-arrested-for-blackmail\/\">The Canary<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Palestine Action co-founder Richard Goddard was arrested for blackmail on 3 February, just days after the group launched a joint action with Extinction Rebellion \u2026 <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/trending\/2021\/02\/04\/police-accused-of-harassment-after-palestine-action-co-founder-arrested-for-blackmail\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<\/a><\/div>\n<p>By <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/author\/joeglenton\/\">Joe Glenton<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1547,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6147,2188,82,10,6148,13,4102,5594,1395],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26195"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1547"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26195"}],"version-history":[{"count":109,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37256,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26195\/revisions\/37256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}