Downing Street has warned that if novelist Sally Rooney gives money to the outlawed organization Palestine Action, she might be charged with terrorism under UK law.
Prior to the group’s proscription as a terrorist organization in the UK on July 5, the award-winning Irish author had stated that she will contribute the money she makes from her books and BBC adaptations to the cause.
Since the organization was outlawed, more than 700 individuals have been detained for allegedly supporting it, including 522 during a demonstration in central London on July 9.
Palestine Action was banned by the Met Police after the organization was implicated in “allegations of a serious assault on staff and police officers at a business premises in South Gloucestershire” and claimed responsibility for damage to planes at RAF Brize Norton.
Rooney stated that if supporting the organization “makes me a’supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it” in an article published over the weekend in the Irish Times.
The 34-year-old went on to say that she will continue to support Palestine Action and “direct action against genocide in whatever way I can” using the money she makes from her job and her public platform.
The UK’s terrorist laws prohibited Palestine Action, while Irish law did not.
At the moment, Rooney resides in Ireland’s west.
In recent years, the BBC has shown adaptations of Rooney’s books Normal People and Conversations With Friends.
However, the company stated that Rooney has never worked for them and that it is up to the writers to decide what to do with money they have already been given.
“Matters relating to proscribed organizations are for the relevant authorities,” a BBC spokeswoman stated in a statement.
The BBC reportedly stated that it is not collaborating with Rooney on any forthcoming initiatives at this time.
