Seeking Power Not Permission

Written by Kojo Kyerewaa

Black Lives Matter UK and Speak Out co-hosted "Power Not Permission" on a warm October evening, drawing around seventy people into a small hall in east London to discuss shrinking protest rights. I was co-chair, and anxious about timings and a possible police presence. As pizza slices disappeared, we took our plastic seats to hear Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, who joined online. 

She described the fight to challenge proscription, the activists held in pre-trial detention for over a year, which was far longer than the six month recommended limit. Huda also discussed the toll on her own life. To applaud Huda was potentially a criminal offence: showing support for a proscribed organisation.

The meeting room held people whom the state had an interest in watching. A mother fighting to free her daughter from prison. A migrant Uber driver striking for a liveable wage. A scientist turned climate activist prosecuted for protesting against power plants. A trans-rights campaign policy manager watching the rules governing her community worsen in real time. 

Sukaina Rajwani, mother of Fatema Zainab Rajwani of the Filton 25, spoke to the audience wearing a free Filton t-shirt and a hijab. In a quiet but firm voice, she told the hall what she discovered in 2024: that the British criminal justice system had nothing to do with justice. She shared the pride she had in her daughter. 

In June this year, Fatema Zainab was convicted of criminal damage at Woolwich Crown Court and sentenced to four years and eight months. She was sentenced alongside Samuel Corner, Charlotte Head and Leona Kamio, they are known as the Filton Four. 

All were found guilty of criminal damage, but Judge Johnson handed them sentences carrying a “terrorist connection”. This is the first time in UK history such a grave designation has been applied to criminal damage convictions. The four will not be eligible for early release. On release, they become Registered Terrorist Offenders required to register with police for 15 years. For that duration, they must notify the police of new phones, email addresses and bank accounts, as well as changes in their circumstances.

Back in the hall, Helios Santos, a Brazilian-born Uber driver with the Independent Workers’ of Great Britain union and a booming voice. He described the struggle against the platforms reducing drivers and riders wages in the gig economy. Helios spent Valentine’s Day on strike for decent wages. “Migrant workers are fighting for everyone’s rights”, he said. He emphasised that across the different struggles, we all have the same enemy and the same goal. 

Helios’ words were echoed by Dr Abi Perrin, a scientist and climate activist. She told the audience that the government “cares more about power plants than people”. Abi and four other activists were prosecuted for gluing themselves to a government building. The action was a response to the government's 2022 energy strategy, which encouraged new oil and gas exploration. The criminal trial collapsed because the Crown Prosecution Service failed to present a case. Abi ended by saying that by not giving up, we are all contributing towards a better future. 

Nora Padilla of TransActual apologised in advance for what she was about to say. NHS England’s new guidance would now place trans people in wards based on their sex assigned at birth. She pointed out that recent calls for the proscription of direct action group Bash Back mirrored the attacks on the radical flank of the Palestine movement. Nora commented that this was a warning to trans people about where this marginalising logic could end. 

In the hall, one wall was lined with monochrome images of United Voices of the World protests and picket lines. Ruth Potts of the Stansted 15 invited the audience to explore those questions together in the workshop section. We broke into small groups aided by BLM UK local action group members. Each group worked through an imagined story of taking action under the current laws governing protest. 

We came back together to share feedback and listened to insights from participants including Nelly Ospino of United Voices of the World. One reflection shared outlined how despite the repression faced by our movements, they have not been destroyed. We still persist in making sketches towards liberation. We ended the meeting with no arrests and no infiltration. There were demands from the audience that we should organise another one. Perhaps we will.