When a priest is arrested for standing up for Palestine, Christians should be concerned

83-year-old Anglican priest, Rev Sue Parfitt, was arrested for holding up a sign in support of Palestine Action, recently proscribed as a terrorist group. Peaceful protestors are standing between the oppressors and the oppressed, says George Pitcher. But it’s an uncomfortable place to be

It comes to a pretty pass when a Labour government deploys legislation to imprison left-wing journalists. But that is precisely what has happened now that the activist group Palestine Action has been proscribed by home secretary Yvette Cooper under the Terrorism Act.

As many friends and colleagues have pointed out, we now have to be very careful – were I to write the simple words: “I support Palestine Action” I would, under the law, risk up to 14 years in jail.

For all their breast-beating, libertarian howls for free speech, this is less of a threat for Conservative voices, which generally (though not exclusively) support the state of Israel and all that it does. For those who would customarily support Labour against these Conservatives, it’s a real and present danger to their freedom.