Killed on the 4th of July
British filmmakers fear persecution for 'To Kill A War Machine', their documentary about Palestine Action. The profits and terrorism of the war machine are protected.
On June 30, 2025, Freedom News stated:
"To Kill A War Machine is a solidly made, inspiring film to watch, but even if it were absolute rubbish, it has already done the job it set out to do. I ended up watching it in a meeting room, on a borrowed projector, via a hastily-organised showing by people intent on getting it out before the proscription [a.k.a. banning] vote. Up and down the country this weekend, and again tonight, others are doing the same. It’s already out there, and a State ban would come too late to shut the barn door. Now it’s not just the story of Palestine Action, it’s the story of Palestine Action they don’t want you to see."
On July 2, UK MPs voted 385 against 26 in favour of labelling and banning Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
385 shills against 26, the Law, and the Public.
Amnesty International responded with:
"Amnesty International condemns the Government's decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terror laws, as an unprecedented legal overreach.
“The UK has a deeply flawed and overly broad definition of terrorism which human rights monitors including Amnesty International have been warning about for years. This latest disturbing move only serves to highlight that those warnings were justified.
Terrorism legislation hands the authorities massive powers to arrest and detain people, suppress speech and reporting, conduct surveillance and take other measures that would never be permitted in other circumstances. Using them against a direct-action protest group is an egregious abuse of what they were created for.
Whatever MPs may think about whether Palestine Action’s tactics are appropriate or not, existing criminal laws, accompanied by human rights protections, were more than capable of responding to them. Instead of taking draconian measures to shut down direct action protesters and criminalise anyone who expresses support for their actions, the Government should be taking immediate and unequivocal action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it.”
On July 3, four Palestine Action protestors were charged for spray-painting two military planes red.
The filmmakers of ‘To Kill A War Machine’, the legal documentary about Palestine Action, expressed their fear:
Following the vote in the House of Commons on 2nd July 2025 to proscribe Palestine Action, Rainbow Collective have taken the difficult decision to temporarily take down the online version of our film, 'To Kill a War Machine' and authorise no further screenings of the film until further notice.
As filmmakers with 20 years of experience documenting movements for social justice around the world, we produced 'To Kill a War Machine' independently, within the law and had it certified for cinema release by the BBFC. The film itself does not become illegal, as it was produced and edited prior to proscription. However, future distribution of anything which could be interpreted as showing sympathy for or inviting support for a proscribed organisation will become illegal.
It has always been Rainbow Collective's intention to tell critical and truthful stories with integrity. We never want our documentaries to expose our audiences or communities to danger from the state and, as such, the film will remain unavailable until we have absolute legal assurance that it can be distributed within the law.
This is for the safety and wellbeing of the communities wishing to organise events or screen the film, as we have been advised that it is they who would face the greatest legal exposure.
We have been overwhelmed and humbled by close to a hundred community screenings being organised over the past week, on line and in person, in cinemas, theatres, community centres, pubs, museums, and living rooms across the UK and around the world. We have never witnessed such an urgent, impassioned and dynamic mobilisation around a film in our 20 years working in the industry.
We feel that this is an important film, one in which activists and members of the public put forward arguments for why direct action is justified, morally and legally, against the companies supplying genocide. We also feel that proscription of a non-violent protest group is the most concerning example of authoritarian overreach that we have seen in the UK in our lifetimes, not just on the right to protest but on the rights of independent film makers, writers, journalists and artists like ourselves who should be allowed to platform the views and actions of non-violent protesters.
We will post further statements as the situation develops and hope to see you all at a screening as soon as we can get the film out there in a way that keeps everybody safe.
With love and solidarity,
Richard York & Hannan Majid,
Directors & Founders, Rainbow Collective
Across the cold ocean, fish wept as the One Big Beautiful Bill swept more money into the American war machine before important matters like barbecues, fireworks displays and re-screenings of ‘Top Gun’ (though the anti-war few may watch that other Cruise movie).
The same day, Israel, a country supported by these NATO members, drone attacked Lebanon and bombed a Gaza school, bringing its 48-hour death toll to 300.
"Billionaires already have three parties fighting for them. It's time the rest of us had one." - said Zarah Sultana, on July 3, as she quit Labour to start a new party with Jeremy Corbyn.
The UK’s House of Lords will approve the suppression of Palestine Action on the Fourth of July (which is appropriate considering its Big Brother’s fake Independence Day).
Terrorism is protected, and the UK is the terrorist.
God save the fascist King and the star spangled banner strangling his subjects.