BREAKING: Baptist minister, James Grote, was just arrested under the Terrorism Act. His alleged crime? Holding a placard outside his church in Oxford which said: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action"
Replies
Arresting a minister for opposing genocide? UK's Terrorism Act now silences dissent, not terror. Free speech dies when placards become threats. #JusticeForGrote #EndTheSilence
aug 24, 2025, 4:32 pm • 7 0 • view
Damn, the UK didn't even need a Trump to start jailing folks for free speech.
aug 24, 2025, 4:35 pm • 6 0 • view
Welcome to the rather large and growing club, James. You are a legend. Respect!
aug 24, 2025, 4:02 pm • 2 0 • view
@yvettecooper-mp.bsky.social Why are you so determined to make our country look like Trump's America. Your decision at the behest of Lord Dannett is WRONG and is criminalising innocent people. Stop supporting Netanyahu he is a genocidal maniac & the world knows it!
aug 24, 2025, 12:57 pm • 16 3 • view
Plod are pathetic doing this .
aug 24, 2025, 2:32 pm • 5 0 • view
It’s a great look for Starmer that we now look like Trumps America
aug 24, 2025, 2:54 pm • 3 0 • view
Forget atting Cooper, folks. She's not posted for seven months. Bluesky leans left, a hostile environment for the government. You won't find any of its main players active here. The party itself has only two 'fan' placeholders. There are decent Labour MPs. They're here. And they need to rebel.
aug 24, 2025, 5:00 pm • 3 1 • view
aug 24, 2025, 3:56 pm • 1 0 • view
Otherwise known as the "Arrest the Geezers and Nans Act."
aug 24, 2025, 7:54 pm • 0 0 • view
What is terroristic about him?
aug 31, 2025, 5:30 am • 0 0 • view
www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...
aug 24, 2025, 8:00 pm • 1 0 • view
Thank you for the article.
aug 31, 2025, 5:40 am • 1 0 • view
man, in america baptist minister means something different
aug 24, 2025, 2:41 pm • 2 0 • view
I should make a sign that says, "KITTENZ & PUPPYS SUGGEST WE HOOMANZ BE NICE TO EACH OTHER."
aug 30, 2025, 1:44 pm • 1 0 • view
I will never understand the assholes who do a government's dirty work.
aug 30, 2025, 2:21 pm • 1 0 • view
The PA ban really is an historic low point for the #Labour party / govt. 😢
aug 25, 2025, 9:09 am • 1 1 • view
A man living up to the demands of his faith. What is this government doing? Who are they protecting? Who owns them? How do they climb down from this? Corrupt idiots. @yvettecooper-mp.bsky.social must go. The sooner the better.
aug 24, 2025, 12:30 pm • 23 3 • view
Moscow , Washington, Beijing, Oxford …… It could be any of them. 🏴🇪🇺
aug 25, 2025, 4:34 am • 2 1 • view
With kindness, I’m asking if you might support our cause by donating or sharing my pinned post. Every step forward counts.
aug 24, 2025, 10:34 pm • 0 0 • view
So instead of drawing attention to the real difficulties in Gaza he decided to make it about him. Hell mend him.
aug 24, 2025, 1:07 pm • 2 0 • view
🤯
aug 27, 2025, 3:44 am • 0 0 • view
Wow, this world is crumbling. This is insane.
aug 27, 2025, 1:36 am • 0 0 • view
Since when does a simple, non-violent protest of one man fall under the Terrorism Act? F'n Republicans.
aug 30, 2025, 5:10 pm • 2 0 • view
Yes
aug 31, 2025, 9:04 pm • 1 0 • view
The country is becoming a fascistic police state. Genocide is being tolerated, supported by government but not by the people. And you thought we lived in a democracy. Time to wake up before it is too late.
aug 25, 2025, 8:57 am • 0 0 • view
This is fucking madness
aug 24, 2025, 12:30 pm • 10 0 • view
He should rather have raped a child… then he would have been free… sorry, but that is the way it works nowadays…
aug 31, 2025, 12:30 am • 1 0 • view
All these old people being arrested, dragged away, sent for trial and presumably being imprisoned as terrorists for years... when will the government realize that this is just a back-door method of our seniors guaranteeing a place in a free care home where they can be with like-minded people?
aug 30, 2025, 1:42 pm • 0 0 • view
He could have done something useful to support Palestinians. He decided not to.
aug 24, 2025, 12:31 pm • 4 0 • view
Like what? In your expert opinion…
aug 24, 2025, 4:01 pm • 0 0 • view
There is no better way to both support Palestinians and to show the British government's complicity with Israel at the same time. Those two things are very much interlinked.
aug 24, 2025, 5:06 pm • 0 0 • view
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
aug 24, 2025, 5:13 pm • 1 0 • view
The policy is insane. He is doing the only thing he can do to combat it.
aug 25, 2025, 8:50 am • 0 0 • view
aug 24, 2025, 8:16 pm • 0 0 • view
He is. He’s highlighting the idiocy of the decision to proscribe them.
aug 24, 2025, 1:12 pm • 6 0 • view
Palestinians have not been proscribed.
aug 24, 2025, 1:24 pm • 1 0 • view
The stupid pigs have arrested people for waving the Palestinian flag. You'd know that if you were paying attention.
aug 24, 2025, 8:19 pm • 1 0 • view
Go on, give us a name, because Google isn't showing anything
aug 24, 2025, 8:28 pm • 0 0 • view
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
aug 25, 2025, 1:01 pm • 0 0 • view
So wasn't arrested and, had she been, she'd have had a good case for a wrongful arrest
aug 25, 2025, 1:47 pm • 0 0 • view
You're a pathetic bootlicker.
aug 25, 2025, 1:58 pm • 0 0 • view
Is insults all you have? I asked a simple question. You haven't provided any evidence to show that anyone has been arrested for flying a Palestinian flag. The police officer was wrong, which was why no summons was issued. Please take the time to be less infantile
aug 25, 2025, 2:01 pm • 0 0 • view
But let’s not name call. They need to follow orders, but do it so badly that people don’t get arrested. Prove they are not following orders…
aug 24, 2025, 8:22 pm • 0 0 • view
That’s not who I was talking about.
aug 24, 2025, 1:25 pm • 1 0 • view
It’s what we were.
aug 24, 2025, 2:12 pm • 0 0 • view
Really? So not Palestine Action per the original post?
aug 24, 2025, 2:14 pm • 3 0 • view
I've been trying to find something positive that PA have done for Palestine. I can't find anything. There are a number of organisations that are trying to help Palestinians.
aug 24, 2025, 2:17 pm • 1 0 • view
I think the point is innocent people are being arrested for nothing more than two words.
aug 24, 2025, 2:20 pm • 2 0 • view
They are being arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation, just as they would HAMAS etc
aug 24, 2025, 2:23 pm • 1 0 • view
No, Palestinians, as per Dave’s post, which is what you replied to.
aug 24, 2025, 2:16 pm • 0 0 • view
My point was about his reply to the original post. Highlighting the idiocy of Palestine Action being proscribed is supporting Palestine. And outside his own church.
aug 24, 2025, 2:18 pm • 1 0 • view
There are better ways to support Palestine.
aug 24, 2025, 2:45 pm • 0 0 • view
So you don’t approve of his peaceful protest. Why don’t you write to him and explain how to do it better…
aug 24, 2025, 2:48 pm • 1 0 • view
Well, he knew he would be, and this footage is what he was after.
aug 24, 2025, 1:24 pm • 0 0 • view
They said the same of the Suffragettes.
aug 24, 2025, 7:48 pm • 2 0 • view
I've an idea, let's send all these big brave policemen that like arresting old people to N. Ireland where they can go and arrest all the UVF supporters. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zPt...
aug 24, 2025, 5:40 pm • 3 2 • view
The church seems to be New Road Baptist Church. Mr Grote is a retired Baptist minister but apparently used to be minister of John Bunyan Baptist Church in Cowley. John Bunyan was imprisoned for his beliefs. But please do not assume that all Baptists are like some American Baptists.
aug 25, 2025, 4:22 am • 1 0 • view
You do not have to support Palestine Action in order to support Palestine. Get over it. It is not about us it's about the Palestinians they really need support, and that man's actions are not helping the cause they are damaging it.
aug 24, 2025, 2:17 pm • 0 0 • view
The Gaza situation is complexed and nuanced, but we can all 1. acknowledge the suffering of the people of Gaza; 2. acknowledge the suffering of the Israeli hostages and other October 7 victims; and 3. acknowledge the US constitution 100% protects this man’s right to express his opinions.
aug 24, 2025, 8:00 pm • 0 0 • view
Not the US. This is in England
aug 24, 2025, 8:09 pm • 0 0 • view
Points 1 and 2 wholeheartedly. Point 3 we are in the UK, not US, and we don't have a constitution . Palestinian Action is a prescribed terrorist group due to some nefarious activity, and so support for them is illegal .Support for points 1 and 2 are not because we have freedom of speech
aug 24, 2025, 8:17 pm • 0 0 • view
Could you name the nefarious activity please?
aug 24, 2025, 11:13 pm • 0 0 • view
Generally criminal trespass and criminal damage. Though now a proscribed organisation they can't be charged with terrorism post hoc. Those that demonstrate in support are also enjoined in terrorism. However that support is in general protest against the proscription not the actions of the group.
aug 25, 2025, 8:39 am • 0 0 • view
Criminal trespass and damage isn't usually described as terrorism, in a functioning democracy anyway, so 'nefarious activity' might make readers assume heinous crimes have taken place. That's why I wanted clarity, but I appreciate your reply.
aug 25, 2025, 11:12 am • 0 0 • view
Nefarious can simply mean criminal according to the Oxford dictionary. Neither of us heard the evidence given in court. I agree with you that looking from the outside, the judgement seems harsh but I am much more concerned with the plight of the Palestinians than that of Palestine Action.
aug 25, 2025, 1:17 pm • 0 0 • view
My biggest worry is that some people in the public and press may see support for Palestinians themselves as support for terrorism and that would harm the cause. Wether you agree with the judgement or not is irrelevant. It is not about us
aug 25, 2025, 1:22 pm • 0 1 • view
Nefarious can mean criminal behaviour in some dictionaries & in others it carries a nastier tone. That's why I asked for details. I can care about more than one thing at once - Israel's genocide against the Palestinians & the UK government's attacks on protest rights. It is not about us.
aug 25, 2025, 4:48 pm • 0 0 • view
I can not see that reply either it wasn't me . I think we have to respectfully disagree on some of the finer points. Personally, I don't think the UK government is attacking the right to protest but is, in fact, attacking criminal behaviour .
aug 25, 2025, 5:08 pm • 1 0 • view
Opposing genocide is terrorism in Up-Is-Down-World.
sep 1, 2025, 2:16 pm • 1 0 • view
This is about freedom of speech as well as Palestine. Without dissent we have no trade unions, no votes for everyone
aug 24, 2025, 4:39 pm • 1 0 • view
The Labour cabinet need to give back the donations from the LFI and start getting ready for The Hague
aug 24, 2025, 1:46 pm • 5 2 • view
LFI Labour Fiends* of Israel *No that’s not a typo.
aug 24, 2025, 8:50 pm • 1 0 • view
In America they are more efficient, AIPAC funds around 90% of their politicians
aug 25, 2025, 8:27 am • 1 0 • view
If we dont indict them ,then who will do it?
aug 31, 2025, 10:42 pm • 0 0 • view
Why didn't he do a placard decrying Israel/Netanyahu's actions instead?
aug 24, 2025, 2:14 pm • 0 0 • view
I have been developing a deep distrust and loathing for the people who make, and those who enforce, these illiberal laws.
aug 24, 2025, 3:30 pm • 3 0 • view
Wahnsinn. Absoluter Wahnsinn.
aug 24, 2025, 3:18 pm • 1 0 • view
aug 24, 2025, 12:48 pm • 21 3 • view
This illegal. FIRST AMENDMENT!!!!!!! 🤬
aug 24, 2025, 5:33 pm • 0 0 • view
Not the US. This is in England
aug 24, 2025, 8:09 pm • 0 0 • view
Palestine Action are a Proscribed organisation in the UK. Supporting them is illegal here. Members of Palestine Action have been charged with terrorism offences in the UK after terrorist attacks on people and premises 🤔
aug 25, 2025, 7:09 am • 0 0 • view
And these demonstrations are examples of civil disobedience a traditional form of resistance to bad laws and tyrannous government.
aug 25, 2025, 8:34 am • 1 0 • view
Wow. That’s just ridiculously stupid.
aug 27, 2025, 1:31 am • 0 0 • view
Police officers surely have some discretion in the way they deal with protest. How do they explain to their friends and family why they arrested someone doing harm to no one because an authoritarian government wants to clamp down on people who oppose genocide?
aug 24, 2025, 3:02 pm • 12 0 • view
There will be (a percentage) of officers on this site. Seemingly none are willing to speak up from what I see and read.
aug 24, 2025, 6:24 pm • 4 0 • view
I would rather be arrested for that, and knowing that going to my grave, I stood for something and did not sell my soul.
aug 31, 2025, 10:41 pm • 0 0 • view
Меня в пицехат
aug 24, 2025, 4:08 pm • 0 0 • view
And the madness keeps happening. Shame on our Government. They can't arrest us all.
aug 24, 2025, 12:43 pm • 2 1 • view