silver

It's not possible for me to keep track of the hundreds of political prisoners terrorised by dictatorial authoritarian Keir Starmer and his Starmtroopers for terrible crimes such as sitting peacefully in public holding a cardboard sign opposing the nation state of Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Palestine. Of course, Starmer has a long record of abusing his positions of power to persecute his political enemies, such as mildly left of centre Jewish members of the Labour Party whom Starmer disproportionately targeted for removal from the party - no other Labour party leader has intentionally silenced so many Jewish voices (and the Starmtroopers' obsessive misogynoir goes without saying).

Full text of a news article for archiving purposes. The Sky News headline covering the same events is "890 people arrested at Palestine Action protest - including 17 on suspicion of assaulting police officers" although I note the only evidence of violence produced so far demonstrates police violence against members of the public (oddly police almost never arrest themselves for violently assaulting the public with batons). All the usual respected international human rights organisations continue their support for Keir Starmer's political prisoners and also for the millions of victims of the nation state of Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Palestine.

Kerry Moscogiuri of the human rights campaign group Amnesty International UK said: “When the government is arresting people under terrorism laws for sitting peacefully in protest, something is going very wrong here in the UK.”
“Criminalising speech in this context is only permitted when it incites violence or advocates hatred. Expressing support for Palestine Action does not, in itself, meet this threshold.” Although I note that many of the people arrest were expressing support for "Palestine action" or "palestine action", neither of which is afaik an arrestable offence (unless onerous bail conditions have previously been imposed, probably illegally, by the police or other abusive institution).

Police Fail to Arrest Two-Thirds in Biggest-Ever Protest Against Palestine Action Ban
‘A huge embarrassment.’
by Harriet Williamson
7 September 2025

An estimated 1,500 people in London have taken part in one of the largest acts of mass civil disobedience in British history, to protest the ban on Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police arrested just over half of them, in what has been described as a “huge embarrassment” for commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. 

At 1pm on Saturday, more than 1,300 protesters, the majority of them over 60 and some visibly disabled, sat down in Parliament Square and wrote “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine action” on cardboard signs. By 9:15pm, the Met said officers had managed to arrest “more than 425” and called its operational plans “effective” – despite having failed to arrest everyone, as it had claimed it would.

( Archived news article. )

1. When did you "lose your innocence"?
I was skeptical with a tendency to cynical even as a child, but I'd also earnestly claim I didn't entirely lose my innocent approach to life fully until I was in my forties. (Yes, I'm ignoring any other connotations.)

2. Would you say you have an accent?
Everyone has an accent. I have three to choose from in my native language, and presumably "foolish foreigner" accents in all other languages I attempt, lol.

3. Do you hope to be married (married again if divorced)?
It's complicated but, yes, like most people I prefer having a life partner of some kind.

4. If you could take one technology to a desert island (the obvious satellite phone excluded), what would it be?
Hmm, depends on the type and position of the island but I'd choose whatever was most likely to get me back home safely, either transport or signalling. If I'm stuck there then I'll take a Star Trek style replicator, I suppose, although I'm not sure how those are supposed to work (presumably one has to feed in some sort of raw materials which might render it useless). So at the other end of the tech spectrum I'd want the most reliable low tech fire-starter (twisted firestarter...).

5. What is the last activity you bought a ticket for?
Boat trip to Ynys Echni, which is an island but neither deserted nor a desert. I like boat trips. :-) Before that would be a bus ride. My other regular tickets are train, museum / exhibition, and cinema.

6. Tell me all your most secret... tickets*? :D
* I'm assuming you all have accents and the sense to escape from a desert island. The state of your personal relationships with yourself and the world are your own business afaic. ;-)