STARMER’S “TERROR TACTICS” ARE FAILING TO SILENCE GAZA PROTESTERS, SAYS FILMMAKER
Keir Starmer’s attempts to silence support for Palestine using police “terror tactics” are failing, the producer of a hard-hitting film about state censorship has claimed.
Norman Thomas, producer of “Censoring Palestine”, which has its online premiere on May 4, said that he has seen growing evidence that not only are protesters successfully pushing back against police aggression but also signs of mounting police demoralisation.
Mr Thomas said, “Our camera has recorded the police attacking peaceful protests and the protesters pushing back against them. More than once demonstrators have ‘kettled’ police vans after they’ve seized protesters and refused to let them take them away.
“We have also filmed the police backing off and looking demoralised in the face of concerted resistance by the protesters. It’s really extraordinary.”
Mr Thomas claimed, too, that police attempts to silence dissent over Gaza by mounting raids on protesters have been “fantastically counterproductive”.
“The recent bungled police raid on a peaceful meeting held by the Youth Demand protest group in a Quakers meeting house shows how fantastically counterproductive the police tactics are. Not only did the police demonstrate the disgraceful things they will do to try to silence free speech, but they were also shown up to have totally failed — because the same group held a similar meeting in the same place a few days later.”
The police practice of mounting dawn raids on anyone who protests against the genocide in Gaza is also backfiring, Mr Thomas claimed.
He said, “They arrest people in their homes, hold them for twelve hours or so, release them in the early morning and often put curfews on them, restricting their movements. It’s a horrifying process — but the police have done it too often. It’s losing its impact.”
“It’s obvious now that these are simply intimidating tactics rather than genuine attempts to enforce the law. They are simply failing to intimidate most people because they know what’s coming.”
Mr Thomas added: “Starmer has failed to crush the protests against his support of Israel’s genocide in Palestine using these draconian tactics. But what he might try next is anyone’s guess. But whatever he does I believe the resistance will go on”
Mr Thomas’s film “Censoring Palestine” is an investigation of the way the truth about Gaza genocide has been systematically suppressed by the mainstream media and the UK government. It includes contributions from veteran filmmaker Ken Loach, comedian Alexei Sayle, Stop The War convenor Lindsey German, world-famous musician Roger Waters and many more.
The film is the latest from Platform Films, who made “Oh Jeremy Corbyn – The Big Lie”, which was controversially axed by the Glastonbury Festival in 2023 following an online campaign by pro-Israel bodies.
“Censoring Palestine” will receive its first online screening on the Crispin Flintoff Zoom show on Sunday, 4 May, at 10.30am. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with commentators including Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos and activist Jackie Walker. To book go to: https://buytickets.at/thecrispinflintoffshow/1677641
To see a trailer for the film:
Former MI5 Agents Reveals Princess Diana Was Murdered Because She Was About To Publicly Support The Cause Of The Palestinians
Annie Machon is perhaps one of the most recognised figures to emerge from the world of British intelligence, not for her service within it, but for her decision to speak out against it. A former officer in MI5, she has spent the last two decades campaigning for greater transparency, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights in democratic societies.
Born in 1968, Machon was educated at Cambridge University, where she studied Classics before being recruited into MI5, the United Kingdom’s domestic security and counter-intelligence service. During her time at the agency in the early to mid-1990s, she worked on a range of operations, from counter-terrorism to the monitoring of political and subversive groups.
It was within this highly secretive environment that Machon and her then-partner, fellow MI5 officer David Shayler, began to grow concerned about practices they witnessed, practices they felt compromised both the ethics and effectiveness of the agency. Among their allegations were claims that MI5 had failed to prevent certain terrorist attacks, had engaged in unlawful surveillance of political activists, and had sanctioned operations that strayed into morally and legally questionable territory.
In 1996, disillusioned and determined to reveal what they considered to be systemic failings, Machon and Shayler left MI5 and subsequently went public with their claims. Their disclosures triggered a political and media storm, raising uncomfortable questions about the oversight of Britain’s intelligence services. The fallout saw Machon and Shayler forced into exile across Europe for several years, evading legal action from the British authorities.
While Shayler’s subsequent trajectory, including bizarre claims of divine reincarnation, has often attracted tabloid headlines, Machon has consistently maintained a composed and credible voice in the debate around state secrecy and civil liberties. She has written extensively on these themes, notably in her 2005 memoir Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers, which provides a first-hand account of life inside the secret state and the personal cost of standing against it.
Among the more controversial theories Machon has discussed publicly is the suggestion that intelligence agencies may have had a role, directly or indirectly, in the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In particular, Machon has speculated that Diana’s increasingly outspoken views on humanitarian issues, including her vocal support for Palestinian rights, might have positioned her as a perceived threat to certain political and intelligence interests. According to Machon, the notion that Diana could have used her global platform to highlight the plight of the Palestinians may have alarmed powerful figures in Britain and elsewhere, who were concerned about the potential diplomatic consequences. While she stops short of alleging direct involvement without hard evidence, Machon has consistently argued that such motives should not be casually dismissed when assessing the wider context of Diana’s death.
In the years since, Machon has become a regular speaker at international conferences, addressing topics such as mass surveillance, government misconduct, whistleblower protections, and the ethical responsibilities of intelligence officers. She has also worked with a number of non-profit organisations, including those supporting whistleblowers and advocating for press freedom.
Through her work, Annie Machon continues to challenge the narrative that secrecy is always in the public interest. She argues instead that democratic societies must find a balance between genuine national security concerns and the public’s right to know what is done in their name — and often, without their consent.
Today, Machon remains a significant and respected figure within the global movement for greater transparency, civil rights, and responsible governance. Her journey from intelligence officer to outspoken campaigner serves as a powerful reminder of the importance, and the personal cost, of speaking truth to power.
