5 Ways the Proscription of Hamas Impacts You

1 Proscription erodes your right to free speech

The proscription of Hamas allows UK police forces to criminalise and repress legitimate forms of speech expressing support for Palestinian liberation on the grounds of Hamas’ proscription.

This has been a regular occurrence throughout the past two years of protests against the genocide in Palestine, as police forces have arbitrarily arrested pro-Palestine demonstrators on the grounds of Hamas’ proscription.

2 Proscription harms your ability to send aid to Gaza

The proscription of Hamas prevents British nationals from having any contact with government officials in the Gaza Strip, which means British nationals are unable to send and coordinate the entry and distribution of aid in Gaza.

3 Proscription undermines your democracy

As no threat exists from Hamas to the UK, and Hamas only operates in occupied Palestine, there is no necessary or proportionate reason for the proscription of Hamas in the UK, as Hamas does not seek to open any military front in the UK.

The proscription of Hamas unnecessarily undermines British democratic values, such as freedom of expression.

4 Proscription infringes upon your human rights

The proscription of Hamas continues to infringe upon the human rights and freedom of expression of individuals in the UK, in contravention of the European Court of Human Rights.

This is because the proscription is used to silence legitimate expressions of support with Palestinians’ lawful and legally protected right to resist by any means necessary, as well as discussions over Palestinian politics in the besieged Gaza Strip.

5 Proscription criminalises your doctors

Doctors who volunteer in government-run hospitals in Gaza are criminalised upon their return to the UK, because the UK government frames public hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip as 'Hamas-run'. This means your doctors risk losing their medical licenses simply for saving Palestinian lives.

The proscription of Hamas is not only harmful for Palestinians, but actively erodes the rights and freedoms of British people.