LONDON: Ian Hislop, the editor of the UK’s satirical magazine Private Eye, has condemned the arrest of 67‑year‑old protester Jon Farley, who was detained under terrorism laws for displaying a cartoon that joked about the government’s proscription of Palestine Action.
Farley, a retired teacher, was held under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act after holding a placard displaying the cartoon from Private Eye at a silent Gaza demonstration in Leeds.
Hislop slammed the arrest as “mind boggling” and a “blatant misunderstanding of satire,” noting that the cartoon was “an example of freedom of speech” against a government policy, according to a report by The Guardian.
Hislop added: “So, it’s not difficult to understand. It’s critical, but it is quite clearly a joke. (It) seems to me absolutely extraordinary that someone could be arrested for holding it (the cartoon) up.”
Farley, a regular demonstrator, said he took the cartoon to a protest in Leeds after hearing that 32 Palestinians seeking aid had been killed by Israeli forces that day.
“I saw it in Private Eye and thought, ‘That’s really well thought-out — it has nuance.’ But I don’t think the police do nuance,” he told The Guardian, referring to the cartoon styled as a mock guide titled “Palestine Action Explained”, which contrasts UK’s harsh response to protest actions with its tolerance of deadly force against Palestinians.
Farley added that officers handcuffed him and escorted him into a police van before he could explain the placard’s satirical origin.
He was released six hours later without charge but under bail conditions barring him from rallies supporting Palestine Action, a group that the UK government classified as a terrorist group after it broke into a military base and vandalized military aircraft.
Farley is among dozens who have been arrested since the ban for holding placards purportedly supporting the group.
The retired teacher called for an apology and expressed concern over the “murky lack of clarity” in the police’s actions.
West Yorkshire Police said it would review the incident, and acknowledged confusion following Palestine Action’s designation as a proscribed organization earlier this month.
