Palestine Action grandmother says she was arrested after speaking Irish

A west Belfast grandmother says was arrested for wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt after giving her name and address in Irish.

Máire Mhic an Fhailí (74), from Poleglass, was carried into the back of a PSNI vehicle by officers after attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Belfast on Saturday.

It comes after the British government made expressing support for, or being a member of Palestine Action, a criminal offence under terrorism legislation.

Ms Mhic an Fhailí said she believes police only arrested her after she spoke in Irish.

“One of the police officers came over and asked me my name, so I gave him my name. I gave it in Irish. He asked me my address, I gave him my address in Irish, and he went away and came back and said ‘you have to give it in English or we will arrest you’.

"In the meantime, one of the other officers went away to try and find out whether our offence was arrestable because of the proscription of Palestine Action.”

And she added: “But the words had no sooner come out of his mouth when the other one came up and said ‘we’re arresting you under Article 13 of the Terrorism Act for wearing the T-shirt in support of a proscribed organisation’.”

She added that another man gave his name and address in English and he was given a caution.

“So two of us were stopped, one was given a caution, I was arrested.”

The Identity and Language Act 2022 made Irish an official language in Northern Ireland with the same legal status as English.

Ms Mhic an Fhailí added that she wore the T-shirt because she supports Palestine Action.

“I support any organisation that is doing what they can to prevent the genocide in Gaza,” she said.

“It is their duty as a citizen to prevent genocide. So why it’s being proscribed and people are going to jail for it is so wrong. It is a bad law.”

Despite her arrest on Saturday, the west Belfast grandmother said she has no plans to stop.

“I’ll be back out at the next march. I will carry on. I’ll be wearing my T-shirt, and I will be marching and protesting. And if I get arrested again, I will be arrested again.

“I would say to the police: look at what is happening. Stand on the right side of history with all the people who are opposed to the mass slaughter in Gaza.”

The PSNI said policing decisions were taken impartially and considered within the individual circumstances relevant to any specific case.

“In recognition of language diversity, the Police Service of Northern Ireland provides free interpretation and translation services on request, including both face-to-face and telephone interpreters, and dedicated support for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals,” a spokesperson said.

“Any arrests are based solely on reasonable grounds that a crime has been committed or is about to be committed.”