A police officer in South West England has been arrested on suspicion of supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The officer was arrested on Tuesday in Gloucestershire by counterterrorism police on suspicion of providing support for the proscribed organisation and is currently being held in custody. A vehicle and address are also being searched in the area.
Hamas is an Islamist militant group that spun off from the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in the late 1980s and has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2006. In October 2023, Hamas attacked southern Israel, thus starting the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
It’s an offence under section 12 of the Terrorism Act to provide support for a proscribed terrorist group. In April this year, Khaled Hajsaad, 24, was found guilty of wearing a headband in support of Hamas at a pro-Palestinian rally in central London.
Details of the officer are scant, but we know that he is a constable in his 30s and that his support for Hamas relates to online “activity online.” With no name or image currently released, we must come to our own conclusions about his background and motivations.
Arman Mathieson, assistant chief constable at Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: “The arrest of a serving officer on suspicion of such a serious offence will no doubt cause our communities concern, as it does everyone who works for Gloucestershire police.
“It’s important to note the suspected support relates to activity online, and the searches taking place are predominately to locate digital devices for analysis.
“The arrest has been made to allow for a prompt and effective investigation to take place, and we must not draw any conclusions at this stage.”
No matter what the investigation’s findings are, this is not a good look for Gloucestershire Constabulary or British policing at large. It comes at a time when the public’s trust in the police is already at rock bottom, and stories such as this aren’t exactly going to alleviate the problem.
Amidst the police’s obvious disdain for the British people, be it through the numerous arrests for so-called online “hate speech”, their heavy-handed response to recent anti-migrant protests, or their apparent indifference to violent minority retaliation in said protests, the thought of having radicalized individuals within their ranks should constitute a national security risk.
No doubt the Labour administration will stick its policy on countering misinformation with no information to catch out some unsuspecting citizens who naively believe they still have free speech in the UK.
It’s one thing to have terrorists roaming free on our streets, but quite another to have them in positions of trust and authority.
Homeland Party will follow this story and its developments. Needless to say, in our vision of Britain, no citizen should have to fear the Police. Justice must be fair and accountable. We will bring transparency to the justice system, ensuring it serves everyone equally.
