Several UK-based law professors have explained their decision to submit a letter to the Court of Appeal in support of the proscribed direct action group Palestine Action, as the court began hearing a government bid to keep the group banned under UK terror laws.
Law Professor Neve Gordon at Queen Mary University of London and Professor Yvette Russell at the University of Bristol were among more than 100 academics to sign Tuesday's open letter, composed of only seven words, which read: "We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action."
Activists in support of Palestine Action hand-delivered the seven-word letter to the court on Tuesday, the same day that the government lodged its appeal against February's ruling, which found the ban to be unlawful.
Lady Chief of Justice Sue Carr confirmed that the judges had received the letter, with Carr reading it out in open court.
Speaking to MEE on Thursday, seven of the professors that signed the letter defended their decision to do so, saying that because they opposed genocide, they "support whatever nonviolent action might be required to stop it".
