Sally Rooney Says She Can't Enter UK; Fears Arrest For Supporting Pro-Palestine Group

Irish novelist Sally Rooney said she avoided travelling to the United Kingdom this week to collect an award, after being advised that she could face arrest for supporting Palestine Action, a protest group banned under UK terrorism laws. Rooney won a Sky Arts award for her latest novel, Intermezzo. At the ceremony, her publisher Alex Bowler read a statement from her, saying she wished she could attend in person but had been told, “I can no longer safely enter the UK without potentially facing arrest.”  The Guardian reported that she has also cancelled all future public events in Britain.

Why Rooney Stayed Away

In August, Rooney confirmed she was donating proceeds from her novels and BBC adaptations of Normal People and Conversations with Friends to the group, Palestine Action. UK officials had previously warned that funding a proscribed group is a criminal offence, Al Jazeera reported.

Rooney said she decided not to travel to the UK so she could continue supporting what she describes as “non-violent anti-war protest.”

What Is Palestine Action?

Palestine Action was banned by the UK Home Office on July 5 under the Terrorism Act 2000. The move came after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton, causing an estimated £7 million in damage to two military jets. Officials say that three incidents by the group meet the legal definition of terrorism because of the scale of the damage. 

According to reports, anyone involved as a member or providing financial support to the banned organisation could face up to 14 years in prison. Around 30 people are facing trial over protests linked to Palestine Action, which have included property damage and clashes with security forces.

Political And Legal Response

On September 14, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that 890 people were arrested during a London demonstration against the ban. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, “Supporting Palestine and supporting a proscribed terrorist group are not the same thing,” while backing officers who made the arrests, according to the BBC News.

Legal proceedings and investigations connected to Palestine Action are ongoing, and authorities continue to enforce the proscription while monitoring related activities across the UK.