Palestine Action Supreme Court crowdfunder blocked because of US sanctions
CrowdJustice declined to host a fundraiser for Palestine Action's UK Supreme Court challenge to its ban, because its payment processor Stripe says it cannot support transactions linked to the group under US sanctions.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2An online crowdfunder to raise money for the UK Supreme Court challenge to the ban on Palestine Action has been blocked as a result of US sanctions against the group. The GuardianLC “An online crowdfunder to raise money for the UK supreme court challenge to the ban on Palestine Action has been blocked as a result of US sanctions against the direct action group.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “An online fundraiser to support the UK Supreme Court challenge to the ban on Palestine Action has been blocked due to US sanctions against the group.” Read at Arab News ↗ Left · 1CrowdJustice, a UK company, declined to host the fundraiser because it uses the US company Stripe as its payment processor. The GuardianLC “CrowdJustice, a UK company, has declined to host a fundraiser for legal fees to fight proscription because the platform uses the US company Stripe as its payment processor.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2In an email seen by the Guardian, CrowdJustice said Stripe had confirmed it "cannot support accounts or transactions linked to, or for the benefit of, Palestine Action", including where funds are raised for legal proceedings. The GuardianLC “Stripe had confirmed “that it cannot support accounts or transactions linked to, or for the benefit of, Palestine Action. This includes circumstances where funds are being raised for legal proceedings.”” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “The Guardian gained access to an email sent by CrowdJustice.” Read at Arab News ↗
Left · 1Stripe said it does not comment on individual users; the Guardian said CrowdJustice was also approached for comment. The GuardianLC “Stripe said it did not comment on individual users. CrowdJustice was also approached for comment.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The US sanctions were imposed last month by Donald Trump, using powers introduced by George W Bush in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, according to the Guardian. The GuardianLC “The US sanctions were imposed last month by Donald Trump, using powers introduced by President George W Bush in 2001 shortly after the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaida on the twin towers in New York.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, who brought the legal challenge against the UK ban, said the group is unable to fundraise for legal fees because of CrowdJustice's and other platforms' reliance on US services. The GuardianLC ““Due to CrowdJustice’s and other platforms’ reliance on US services, we are unable to fundraise for legal fees needed for our supreme court challenge.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, who brought the legal challenge against the British ban, said” Read at Arab News ↗
Mixed · 2Ammori said the state continues to spend millions of pounds defending a "disproportionate and draconian" ban that has led to more than 3,700 arrests for holding signs, and that the British government and the US are putting every possible obstacle in the group's way. The GuardianLC “the state continues to spend millions of pounds to cover their legal costs to defend the disproportionate and draconian ban, which has led to more than 3,700 arrests” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “The British government and the US are putting every possible obstacle in our way, in order to stack the odds against us.”” Read at Arab News ↗ Mixed · 2The Independent reported that the Home Office has spent £700,000 defending proscription in the High Court (Arab News gave the figure as more than $900,000); the total is expected to be far higher because the Court of Appeal, which overturned the High Court's ruling that the ban was unlawful, has since heard the case. The GuardianLC “The Home Office has spent £700,000 defending proscription in the high court, according to the Independent.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “The UK Home Office has so far spent more than $900,000 defending the ban in the High Court, The Independent reported.” Read at Arab News ↗ Mixed · 2The case moves to the UK Supreme Court in November. The GuardianLC “moves to the UK’s highest court in November.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “The case will move to the UK’s highest court next month.” Read at Arab News ↗
Mixed · 2When then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced her intention to ban the group in June last year, a CrowdJustice fundraiser for a High Court challenge raised more than £300,000 within days. The GuardianLC “a CrowdJustice fundraiser for legal fees to fund a high court challenge raised more than £300,000 within days.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC “a CrowdJustice legal crowdfunding campaign raised more than £300,000 ($396,000).” Read at Arab News ↗ Mixed · 2Former British diplomat Craig Murray, who is separately challenging the ban in Scotland, had his own CrowdJustice fundraiser taken down after the US designated Palestine Action a global terrorist organisation; he called the situation "really disgraceful". The GuardianLC “had his own CrowdJustice fundraiser for legal fees taken down after the US designated the group as a global terrorist organisation.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Arab NewsRC ““It’s really disgraceful.” Read at Arab News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Guardian exclusive led by the CrowdJustice email showing the US sanctions reach a UK legal challenge, with Ammori and Murray quoted at length.
- Emphasis
- Impact on legal funding, free speech, and the contrast with government spending on defending the ban.
- Leaves out or plays down
- No response from CrowdJustice or the Home Office is given; no counter-view on the proscription or sanctions.
- Charged language
- “draconian legislation”“cripple our ability to fight it”
- For example
-
“Exclusive: CrowdJustice platform says US firm Stripe, its payment processor, ‘cannot support accounts or transactions’ linked to group” — The Guardian
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Arab News rewrites the Guardian report, attributing it to the Guardian, with the same quotes and a dollar conversion of figures.
- Emphasis
- The block on fundraising and Ammori's and Murray's statements.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not add original reporting or reaction from the US, Stripe beyond the no-comment, or the UK government.
- Charged language
- “draconian”
- For example
-
“UK company CrowdJustice declined to host the crowdfunding campaign because it uses US company Stripe as a payment processor, The Guardian reported on Friday.” — Arab News
What every side reports
- CrowdJustice declined to host a fundraiser for the Supreme Court challenge because its processor Stripe cannot support transactions linked to Palestine Action.
- Huda Ammori and Craig Murray criticised the block, and Stripe did not comment on individual users.
- The Court of Appeal overturned the High Court ruling that the ban was unlawful, and the case goes to the Supreme Court in November.
Where accounts differ
-
Home Office legal spend defending the ban in the High Court
- Left
- Guardian: £700,000, according to the Independent.
- Right
- Arab News: more than $900,000, citing the Independent.
CrowdJustice organisation
Told Palestine Action, per an email seen by the Guardian, that Stripe cannot support transactions linked to the group, so it declined to host the fundraiser; it had not commented publicly.
“CrowdJustice was also approached for comment.” — The Guardian
Palestine Action US organisation
Co-founder Huda Ammori says the US and British governments are obstructing the group's legal challenge and that the ban threatens free speech.
“The British government and the US are putting every possible obstacle in our way, in order to stack the odds against us.”” — Arab News
Left1 article
-
Palestine Action crowdfunder for UK supreme court challenge blocked due to US sanctions
Sympathetic Exclusive presenting the block as a hurdle to a legal challenge, giving the group's and Murray's criticism prominence.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Palestine Action online fundraiser blocked due to US sanctions
Sympathetic Derivative report relaying the Guardian's findings and the same critical quotes.
- 2 Oct 15:00 First The GuardianLC Palestine Action crowdfunder for UK supreme court challenge blocked due to US sanctions
- 2 Oct 20:25 +5h 25m Arab NewsRC Palestine Action online fundraiser blocked due to US sanctions
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.