The murder of Jo Cox and terrorism
17 June 2016 - SACC
SACC does not support calls for the murder of Jo Cox to be treated as terrorism. Britain's terrorism laws are a tool for repression. Whatever else they are used for, they will always be overwhelmingly used against enemies of the state rather than against enemies of the people. SACC has throughout its existence campaigned for the terrorism laws to be repealed and for crimes of violence to be prosecuted under the ordinary criminal law. That remains our policy.
It is also SACC policy that there should be no platform for fascists, and that the widest possible political forces should work together in the specific fight against fascism, even where there are sharp differences on other matters.
So we need a common approach with political parties and organisations, but not with repressive state apparatus.
Any use of state "anti-terrorism" or "counter-extremism" measures against far-right groups will undermine politically-conscious mass opposition to fascism and will legitimise measures directed against anti-imperialists, Muslims and progressive campaigns.