An unexpected police response has once again thrown the unjust proscription of Palestine Action into the spotlight – and underscored the utter preposterousness of the ban.
Police response to window protest
When Keith Hackett received a visit from Merseyside Police on Saturday he must have been expecting them to arrest him under the Terrorism Act. Across the country, cops have indeed arrested more than 700 others for displaying the same message.
Since July, he has had in his from window a poster saying:
I OPPOSE GENOCIDE. I SUPPORT PALESTINE ACTION.
Liverpool resident (& former councillor) Keith Hackett says he’s had this poster in his front window since 7 July. It says “I oppose genocide I support Palestine Action.” He says Merseyside police visited him yesterday to discuss it, & told him it IS lawful to display it. pic.twitter.com/RDWT6PdCu5
— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) August 23, 2025
Cops tried to get him to take it down:
https://twittkeer.com/MichaelLCrick/status/1959195974292615647
But Hackett refused.
Instead, in an encounter recorded on film, a police officer reassured him his sign was lawful. That is, it would remain so as long as he didn’t take it outside:
The Merseyside police officer said:
As I’m sure you’re aware, there is no offence with it because it’s in a private dwelling, you’re allowed to say that, it would only be an offence if it was in a public place.
Mr Hackett replied:
I did not know that! I’m astonished. A lot of people are going to be astonished by that. I’m very grateful to you.
As journalist Michael Crick noted, this surely means we can support Palestine Action in our homes, no?
So, if Merseyside police have interpreted it correctly, the law seems to be that you can’t display a poster out on the street saying “I support Palestine Action”, but you can display such a poster from behind the glass of your front window which is visible from the street! https://t.co/eycx9G9hKy
— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) August 23, 2025
Policing of Palestine Action protests: inconsistent, confused, chaotic
Of course, the surprising response from the Merseyside Police only draws greater attention to the sheer ridiculousness of cops arresting peaceful protesters holding placards for terrorism in the first place. And, from the beginning of the Palestine Action ban, countrywide policing has been inconsistent at best, complete chaos at worst.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said:
Express support for Palestine Action from your front window, and the police will reassure you that what you’re doing is completely lawful. Take precisely the same message out of the house, you can be arrested under the Terrorism Act, and in the extreme case of South Wales Police, have your house raided and your baked beans tested for radiation with a Geiger counter. How can anyone take this seriously? The government should scrap this embarrassing law. It must stop supporting Israel’s genocide.
Featured image supplied
