Jersey Activist arrested under TERROR LAW stays defiant.

A PRO-PALESTINE activist who was arrested in Jersey on Friday, November 15th, has said the arrest “made [her] more steadfast” and that she would “double down”.

Natalie Strecker (49) was arrested at her home on Friday morning on suspicion of an offence under Article 13.1 of the Terrorism (Jersey) Law 2002, which relates to inviting support for a proscribed organisation.

She is a leading face in the Jersey Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Ms Strecker appeared on the CRISPIN FLINTOFF SHOW on Sunday, an online politics show that attracted more than 400 viewers.

She described being arrested early on Friday morning, saying

• She was not handcuffed, and being in custody at the police station for 12 hours – including a four-hour interview.

Ms Strecker listed a number of items that were seized, including her phone, a book she was using to learn Arabic, and a T-shirt with the Arabic for “You’ll never walk alone”.

She said she had told the officers who arrested her:

• “I knew fascism was arriving. I just didn’t realise it would be quite as early in Jersey.”

Describing herself as “a middle-aged woman” and “an aspiring pacifist”, she added:

• “It is utter insanity.

• And everyone can look at my timeline and ask themselves, when have I given support for terrorism or for prescribed organisations? What I have acknowledged is resistance.”

During her interview, she said,

• She refused legal support because she suspected a lawyer was biased against her.

She added:

• “To be fair to the officers, most of them, apart from one, were actually respectful of me.

• “I think they did as best as they could.

• “Some of the police officers who came in looked embarrassed, which they should be.

• “One of them said: ‘We’re just doing our job’.

• “I said to them: ‘So were the Nazis.

• But it didn’t hold up as an argument in in court.’”

She described feeling “totally alone” in her cell and added: “We have got to just stand up. We double down.

• “The more they come for us, the more we double down because it won’t end here, and solidarity is what will save us.

• “All they’ve done now is piss me off, to be honest. I’ve always tried to play it fairly nice.

• “I try to be that, that person, I try to role model to bring about a kinder world. It’s really my intention for everything.

• “But now they’ll get to see my teeth, and we’ll see how that goes.”

The “States Police” confirmed that having received a complaint, they arrested a 49-year-old woman on suspicion of an offence under

• Article 13.1 of the Terrorism (Jersey) Law 2002 relates to inviting support for a proscribed organisation.

Article 13.1 of the Terrorism (Jersey) Law 2002 makes it an offence to

• invite support for a proscribed organisation. This includes any form of expression that could be interpreted as encouraging others to support such an organisation, even if the person making the statement is reckless as to whether their words will have that effect.
• A proscribed organisation is officially listed as being involved in terrorism, and supporting such an organisation can include actions like arranging meetings or distributing materials that promote the group’s activities.

Hamas is a proscribed organisation in Jersey under the Terrorism (Jersey) Law 2002 as follows:-

This is in line with the UK’s designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 200012. Jersey, being a Crown Dependency, follows the UK’s lead in proscribing terrorist organisations. Therefore, supporting or being involved with Hamas is illegal under the Terrorism (Jersey) Law 2002

Ms Strecker has been released on conditional bail, with conditions that she does not attend events “that support prescribed organisations” or use slogans in support of proscribed organisations.

SOURCE

• By Megan Davies mdavies@jerseyeveningpost.com - https://edition.pagesuite.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=2b8f49ac-3189-4ccf-b50a-f2a2f6f56cda&share=true&appcode=JEEVPO
• https://www.comsuregroup.com/news/jersey-police-arrest-palestine-campaigner-arrested-under-jersey-terrorism-law-15-november-2024/
• https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2024/11/16/jep-exclusive-palestine-campaigner-arrested-under-terrorism-law/#:~:text=A%20PRO-PALESTINE%20activist%20has%20been%20arrested%20in%20Jersey,arrested%20on%20the%20morning%20of%20Friday%2015%20November.
• JEP EXCLUSIVE: Palestine campaigner arrested under terrorism law. https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2024/11/16/jep-exclusive-palestine-campaigner-arrested-under-terrorism-law/.
• https://www.jerseylaw.je/laws/current/Pages/17.860.aspx
• https://thecrispinflintoffshow.co.uk/about/