Galloway detained at Gatwick by counter-terrorism police
On September 27, former British parliamentarian George Galloway was stopped and detained by armed counter-terrorism police at London's Gatwick Airport.
Mr. Galloway was returning with his wife, Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, on a flight from Dubai when officers stopped him under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
During the stop, officers interrogated Mr. And Mrs. Galloway separately, asking them about their views on China and Russia and grilling them as to why they supported Palestine.
Supporters argue that the nature of the stop is politicized. They say it shows a clear attempt to intimidate opponents of British state policy, sending a message that no one is exempt.
It's an absolutely outrageous overreach of state power by Sir Keir Starmer's government.
I think it's about really sending a signal that if the state can take that sort of action against somebody of George Galloway's caliber, then nobody is safe.
And it's really crucial, it seems to me, therefore, that all of us need to rail against this, because, you know, George Galloway at the weekend, who's next?
And this is, as I say, a massive attack on freedom of speech.
Chris Williamson Former MP
Mr. Galloway is a well-known public figure in the UK, having been elected to Parliament seven times, and with a huge social media following.
He is the latest to be stopped under these powers, which include forcing someone to hand over the pass-codes to their electronic devices.
In recent years, many, including political dissidents, activists and journalists like Richard Medhurst, have been stopped under counter-terror legislation, and in recent months, this has even been expanded to include lawyers like Fahad Ansari as well.
Police have stopped them, violating the very basic principles of confidentiality of a lawyer's communications with his clients by trying to gain access to his phone and emails.
Galloway is leader of the Workers Party of Britain, and they released a statement on the detention.
Our party condemns the attempt to intimidate those who seek amity, rather than enmity with the rest of the world.
Our leader, George Galloway and our deputy chair, Gayatri Galloway, have now been released without charge. There was never any chance of an offense.
We were obstructed from providing legal support, and the conduct of the affair has been designed to intimidate political opponents of the drive towards war with Russia and China.
Workers Party of Britain
George has been an outspoken supporter of Palestine, a long-standing critic of Israel, an opponent of the war in Ukraine, NATO's proxy war in Ukraine.
And you know, he's calling out this, this hypocrisy, he's calling out the military industrial complex, he's calling out the politicians who were in the pockets of the Zionist, in the pockets of the of the arms dealers. And obviously has a big platform.
Chris Williamson Former MP
Despite what many view as a massive escalation in the British state's attempts to intimidate and suppress political dissent, George Galloway remains undeterred and unbowed, his instincts compelling him to fight on.
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