The facts are not disputed. On 20 June, two activists spray-painted two RAF Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, where flights regularly leave for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. No person inside the compound was harmed.

At worst, these actions may amount to offences around criminal damage and trespass. The former justice secretary Lord Falconer has stated that the action at Brize Norton would not justify outlawing the group.

But that is exactly what is happening. The home secretary’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action and to lay an order so swiftly in parliament on Monday will be viewed as a dangerous acceleration to authoritarianism. This means the full weight of the British anti-terrorism state apparatus, including its coercive elements, will be deployed against Palestine Action’s leaders and potentially thousands of young British supporters, with devastating consequences for their futures.

The actions used by Palestine Action are not new. They follow a tradition of protest that has been instrumental to civil rights movements throughout history. Indeed, these actions have shaped modern Britain and enriched democratic participation globally.

As a veteran anti-racist civil rights campaigner, for nearly five decades, I continue to support scores of families seeking justice. These have included the families of Blair Peach, Stephen Lawrence, Zahid Mubarek and Victoria Climbié, who were not only traumatised by the way their loved ones were killed but faced a litany of institutional failures.

During every campaign, we faced politicians who ignored or played down our lived experiences blighted by violent and state racism. They also chose to ignore the more subdued and normalised forms of protest that we organised. We were compelled to find creative ways to get the urgency of their message across.

We shouldn’t forget the real purpose of the action at Brize........

© The Guardian