The Hertfordshire Palestine Support Coalition condemns abuse that has been directed at members of Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) over the past fortnight by opponents of our campaign.
The abuse of councillors follows a petition that the Coalition presented to HCC on 21st October, calling for the council to stop investing pension funds in firms complicit in grave human rights abuses against Palestinians.
In response, Liberal Democrat councillors proposed a brief motion asking the Pensions Committee to review its Responsible Investment Policy, which was debated and narrowly passed.
Opponents of our divestment campaign have since sent thousands of emails to councillors, many abusive and at least one with a threat of physical violence. In particular, they have targeted the Chair, claiming he acted in support of our campaign during the debate and vote. In fact, the actions they have highlighted simply involved the Chair imposing the usual three-minute cut-off for speakers and not voting on the motion out of respect for the impartiality of the chairperson role. These are standard council procedures. It is particularly disturbing that the abuse has focused on his Jewish identity.
This echoes abuse that our Coalition has suffered, including a counter-demonstration against our petition outside County Hall, during which counter-demonstrators continually crossed security cordons to confront and abuse our supporters at very close quarters and surrounded some of them and tore their placard.
The individual who presented our petition to HCC has also been subject to abuse on social media, which has again focused on his Jewish identity.
Herts Palestine Support Coalition condemns the attempt to stifle democratic debate, the use of misinformation, and the abuse and threats of violence.
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