Over 40 now jailed for protests

Picture Alisdare Hickson

Fourteen Palestine Action activists and 26 Just Stop Oil activists are in custody, either on remand or imprisoned for terms up to five years, for taking part in or planning protests.

Abdinasir Hussein has been sentenced to 18 months for “violent disorder” because he threw two objects at far-right demonstrators who were trying to attack migrants in a hotel in Bristol. Both throws missed. The BBC report described him as “the 37th person to be charged by Avon and Somerset Police”, and only later said he was opposing the far-right assault, not taking part in it.

The judge in his sentencing acknowledged that Hussein was not centrally responsible, but said his actions “added fuel to the already started fire,” and that he “contributed to this very violent disorder.”

Hussein was held in custody between charging and sentencing primarily due to his insecure living situation (sofa-surfing at the time of his arrest) — which will now be made harder by a prison sentence and a criminal record. As the Bristol Cable reports, Hussein, 24, had already been estranged from his family, and had lost his job as a security guard due to being unable to afford training courses.

Some people are still serving prison sentences for Police Bill protests in 2021.

Madeleine Norman, on remand as part of a Palestine Action demonstration, has been taken off the “escape list” we reported in Solidarity 721. Along with the other nine activists arrested from the same action, Norman is still subject to a non-association order, meaning far fewer visits than other prisoners, and activities inside the prison being restricted.

The left and labour movement must do more on the question of these people jailed for protest or for trying to protect our streets and migrant communities from the far right.