Campaigns
See Resources for CAMPACC activities not covered by the campaigns below, including anti-terror legislation and CAMPACC responses to it.
Campaigning on legislation
CAMPACC responds to Government legislation and parliamentary committees. See here for recent campaigns to change proposed and current legislation.
Terror bans
The Terrorism Act 2000 defines terrorism in very broad ways, to include simply 'the threat' of 'serious damage to property', in ways 'designed to influence the government' for a 'political cause' anywhere in the world. . This broad definition stigmatizes a wide range of legitimate political activity as 'terrorism'. The UK has banned organizations on the basis that their activities in other countries fit the broad definition of terrorism.
Detainees and control orders
In March 2005, despite huge opposition from the public and the House of Lords, the Prevention of Terrorism Act became law. In the name of ‘anti-terror’ measures, the new ‘control orders’ treat people as guilty. They are branded forever as individuals ‘involved in terrorism-related activity’. These measures violate a fundamental principle: innocent until proven guilty and the right to a fair trial. They punish individuals for what they might do, not what they have done. Already such orders have restricted association, telephones and internet use, while imposing electronic tagging. Later these powers may be extended to house arrest. Any breach of such conditions could lead to imprisonment. More people may have new orders imposed at any time.
Everyday harassment
Under the 2000 Act, police gained powers to impose stop-and-search on an arbitrary basis, without any grounds for suspicion about an individual. These powers have been widely used to harass political activists. Under this Act they also gained powers to detain ‘terror suspects' without charge for 7 days. This was later extended to 14 days, and then to 28 days in 2005. Such long detentions impose punishment without trial, psychological pressure on ‘suspects', and damage to their livelihoods.
Torture & rendition
'Extra-ordinary rendition' has been a euphemism for kidnapping individuals and transporting them to 'legal black holes' which lie beyond any judicial procedure or even beyond any public knowledge. The so-called 'security' agencies of the UK have colluded with their foreign counterparts in such kidnapping, rendition and torture.
Right to protest & free expression
Recent changes to the law and changes in police practice are eroding everyone's freedom of association and freedom of speech. As well as creating a climate of fear against speaking out, such laws are often used politically to target particular groups.
Self-determination
Exploring the growing conflict between struggles for national self-determination (SD) versus the global ‘counter-terror” regime' and its effects on diasporic communities.