Hull-Grown "Terrorists"?

Nine members of Cooperation Hull face charges under the Terrorism Act for protesting peacefully.

On Saturday the 9th of August 2025, over 530 people were arrested in London during a protest against the government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action and the ongoing genocide by Israel in Gaza. The group behind the protest, Defend Our Juries, say that over 800 people attended the protest, where placards were unveiled reading:

"I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."

This comes after Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, proscribed the group following damage to two military planes at RAF Brize Norton in June. The damage, according to the BBC, was worth £7m. In July, four people were remanded in custody charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage, and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose of prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom. On the 2nd of July, MPs voted to proscribe the group as a terrorist organisation.

Under the Terrorism Act (2000), supporting a proscribed group is a criminal offence, and expressing support is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Five of those arrested on Saturday were people from a group called Cooperation Hull. In a post on Instagram, the group confirmed that five of their members went to Parliament to defy this government's "cowardly ban" on Palestine Action. This follows four other members being arrested in Manchester a few weeks ago for a similar protest.

Cooperation Hull aims to do politics differently, with a focus on community care as opposed to relying on the state to provide. Every Tuesday, the group supports 'Waffle', a community get-together where you pay-what-you-like for "belter scran". I have been to this myself, and I have to admit, the food is good. In addition, they also run community outreach, which aims to unite our communities in a world of politics which seeks to divide them.

In their Instagram post, Cooperation Hull says that the government is "complicit in an ongoing genocide", a claim that has been backed up by a United Nations Special Committee, Amnesty International, and other experts. On the 7th of August 2025, it was confirmed that Israel's security cabinet had approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, a terrifying escalation that has been widely condemned by world leaders and humanitarian groups.

Cooperation Hull says that civil disobedience is in their DNA and that the right to protest is "absolutely fundamental to a democracy". In 2022, a member of the group, Patrick Thelwell, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work after throwing eggs at King Charles in York. They were found guilty of threatening behaviour. Another member of Cooperation Hull who is no stranger to the law is Gully Bujak, who was first arrested during the 2019 Extinction Rebellion.

But there has been some controversy surrounding Cooperation Hull after concerns were raised late last year about a far-right activist, Barry McGrath, being involved in the group. According to a Twitter/X account, 'Hull Antifascist Action', McGrath is/was known to be present in several Cooperation Hull's group chats. McGrath, who stood as a candidate for an anti-Muslim group, For Britain, three times between 2019 and 2022, is now known to be involved in the National Rebirth Party, a political party led by Alek Yerbury, an individual who models himself on Adolf Hitler.

Despite this, there is no denying that what Cooperation Hull is trying to do in our city is amazing. My only criticism of the group is their approach to sitting on the fence slightly when it comes to offering a space to those with extreme views. I can understand their logic - allowing people to discuss these issues in a sensible way rather than the endless screaming matches we see on social media. But for me, I don't know how able I would be to sit across from far-right individuals and "hear their side of the story."

But now, nine members of Cooperation Hull are facing changes under the Terrorism Act. I have given you the facts - and now, I will give you my opinion. Do I believe they were wrong for protesting? Absolutely not. I disagree strongly with the proscription of Palestine Action, and I believe that the government is approaching this in the wrong way. Do I believe that terrorism laws are being misused? Yes. Nobody should be arrested and branded a terrorist for sitting in Parliament Square peacefully with a placard. The idea is alien to me and makes me worry about the future.

As somebody who has attended protests and helped organise protests, the notion that at any time, the government can slap a proscription order on a group is terrifying. We see these tactics in authoritarian countries - I never thought I would see it happen in the United Kingdom. The horrors that are unfolding in Gaza often make me lose sleep. I don't think it's inappropriate to protest against that.