A CROWDFUNDER to raise money for the UK Supreme Court challenge to the ban on Palestine Action has been blocked as a result of US sanctions.
The Guardian reports that CrowdJustice, which is a UK company, has declined to host a fundraiser for legal fees to fight the proscription – which came into force last July – because the platform uses the US company Stripe as its payment processor.
In an email seen by the outlet, CrowdJustice said Stripe had confirmed "that it cannot support accounts or transactions linked to, or for the benefit of, Palestine Action".
It added: "This includes circumstances where funds are being raised for legal proceedings."
Donald Trump imposed the US sanctions against Palestine Action last month, declaring the organisation a global terror group.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said in response: “Due to CrowdJustice’s and other platforms’ reliance on US services, we are unable to fundraise for legal fees needed for our supreme court challenge.
“On the other hand, the state continues to spend millions of pounds to cover their legal costs to defend the disproportionate and draconian ban, which has led to more than 3700 arrests for holding signs [allegedly supporting a proscribed organisation].
"The British government and the US are putting every possible obstacle in our way, in order to stack the odds against us.”
According to the Independent, the Home Office has spent £700,000 defending proscription in the High Court.
However, the total amount spend by the UK Government will be far higher, because the case has since been heard by the Court of Appeal, which overturned the High Court's decision that the ban was unlawful in June.
The case moves to the Supreme Court in November.
Ammori continued: “Clearly, the powerful have banded together against citizens acting on their conscience against the Israeli war machine and ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
"It is extremely clear that Palestine Action faces harsher sanctions than Israel."
She added: “The Supreme Court case is extremely important for our rights to free speech in Britain, but also for the people of Palestine.
"If we are successful, all prosecutions of protesters who held signs will be rightfully quashed. If not, we will witness thousands of people facing jail for holding placards.”
