Wales: Christians for Palestine condemn 'terrorism' charges against peaceful sign holders

Source: Christians For Palestine - UK

Christians for Palestine in Wales - an ecumenical grassroots network based in Mid Wales and active across the nation - has issued a formal statement following the results of the proscription appeal, due to the charging of peace campaigners under anti-terror legislation.

The verdict will have profound consequences for arrested sign holders.

The Wales coordinator is currently facing charges after peacefully holding cardboard signs during a Defend Our Juries public witness in Trafalgar Square in October 2025.

The network strongly rejects the state's characterisation of peaceful, faith-motivated dissent as "terrorism." Organisers state that using anti-terror laws to prosecute individuals holding paper signs is a severe distortion of justice that reveals the state's deep anxiety toward public truth-telling.

"As Christians, we are bound by a biblical mandate to stand with the oppressed and to seek a just peace," said Heather Huntley, the group's coordinator, "To label a piece of cardboard calling for peace as an act of terrorism is a profound perversion of the law. The state is resorting to raw, coercive force because it has lost the moral argument."

The group states that their legal defense, public witness, and continuing campaign across Wales will be firmly anchored in New Testament principles:

* The Light Conquers the Darkness: Grounded in John 1:5 ("The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it"), the group views peaceful sign-holding as a moral light that exposes systemic bias. They state that the state's heavy-handed response is a public confession that it has run out of arguments.

* The Message Cannot Be Chained: Drawing on the Apostle Paul's letters from a Roman cell ("God's word is not chained", 2 Timothy 2:9), the network emphasizes that while individual bodies can be locked up, the call for justice in Palestine cannot be quarantined.

* A Platform for Truth: Following Jesus' teaching that being brought before courts is a sovereign opportunity to bear witness (Luke 21:12-13), the arrested members intend to use their hearings not to beg for mercy, but to put the justice system itself on trial.

* Gentleness and Respect: In accordance with 1 Peter 3:15, members vow to meet state hostility with absolute integrity, gentleness, and an refusal to mirror the violence of the system, thereby maintaining total moral clarity.
Christians for Palestine in Wales confirms that the group will support all arrested sign holders with prayer and presence through any upcoming court proceedings.

The statement concludes: "Earthly legal systems have no jurisdiction over human conscience. The darkness is heavy, but it will not overcome the light."