A LIMERICK woman has spoken out after what she describes as a “dystopian” experience, in which she was arrested in London for taking part in a pro-Palestine protest.
Since her arrest and release, she has been called by police to return to London for further interview.
Despite her arrest and impending police interview, Sinรฉad Nรญ Shiacรกis from Caherdavin told the Limerick Post she will return to London next month for another pro-Palestine demonstration.
The Limerick woman was among almost 500 arrested by Metropolitan Police for their participation in a protest in Westminister on August 9.
Protesters carried placards emblazoned with slogans with phrases like “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” in opposition to the banning of the activist group Palestine Action by UK Justice Minister Yvette Cooper.
Sineรกd was one of two Irish citizens arrested at the July protest in London last month.
The arrests were made under Section 13 of the UK Terrorism Act, which makes it “an offence to wear any uniform, or wear, carry, or display an article (including publishing images online), in a way which would arouse reasonable suspicion that the individual is a supporter or member of a proscribed organisation”.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Sinรฉad described the incident as “a terrifying example of how far authoritarianism has crept into the so-called democratic West”.
Sinรฉad was detained by police for seven hours, she told this newspaper. She has since received a letter from Metropolitan Police requesting that she return to London in October for interview.
“I don’t know what that means for myself. I’m going through two Garda vetting processes at the moment, which I’m very worried about.ย I wasn’t expecting to get arrested in London, I went over there under the impression that I was there to support the Palestinian people and Palestine Action,” she said.
Sinรฉad says the incident left her so distressed that she was unable to attend work upon her return to Limerick.
“I was watching elderly people next to me get arrested for sitting there, I watched a man who is blind get arrested, and another woman in her 60s in the line with me who has lung cancer get arrested too,” she said.
She also criticised the Irish government for what she believes is their “complete silence” on her arrest by London police.
Despite Sinรฉad’s arrest and upcoming interview with Met Police, she will return to the streets of London again in September to further protest against the ban on Palestine Action.
Defend Our Juries, the pressure group behind the protests opposing the ban on Palestine Action in the UK, believe a turnout of 1,000 people on September 6 could be enough to get the ban lifted.
“Our rights to protest and free expression are under attack from an increasingly authoritarian government that has forgotten its roots,” the Limerick woman claimed after her arrest in the UK.
“We will not comply with any government that defends the indefensible and prosecutes people who act on their conscience. We will stay on the streets until the ban on Palestine Action is lifted and protest rights are restored.”
