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A grassroots pro-Palestinian organisation in the UK has been told its bank account was frozen because of \u201can investigation into Palestine<\/a> Action\u201d, despite it having no affiliation to the direct action group.<\/p>\n Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine (GMFP), which organises peaceful protests and vigils, had access to its funds cut off indefinitely<\/a> by Virgin Money after Palestine Action was banned under the Terrorism Act<\/a> and the account remains blocked.<\/p>\n The bank refused to tell GMFP the reason but a letter from the deputy mayor of Greater Manchester<\/a>, Kate Green, to the organisation\u2019s treasurer, John Nicholson, said her office had been told by Greater Manchester police (GMP) that \u201cthis account has been frozen as a result of an investigation into Palestine Action\u201d.<\/p>\n Nicholson said: \u201cThe fact is that this is a bank account in the name of Greater Manchester<\/a> Friends of Palestine, which supports people starving in Gaza, people displaced, subject to settler violence in the West Bank, aimed at giving funds to non-governmental organisations working on the ground in Palestine. Our bank account has had no transactions to or from Palestine Action.<\/p>\n \u201cThe government \u2013 Shabana Mahmood [the home secretary] but Yvette Cooper [her predecessor] started it \u2013 said that there\u2019s nothing wrong with supporting Palestine but there\u2019s everything wrong with supporting Palestine Action. Well, our bank account has not and our membership has not supported financially or otherwise Palestine Action. So it\u2019s an absolute abuse for the implications of this ban to extend so widely that bank accounts of ordinary Palestinian supporting groups should be closed.\u201d<\/p>\n Nicholson, 71, also had his joint personal account with his partner, Norma Turner, 77, who is chair of GMFP, closed by Yorkshire Building Society<\/a> without explanation in September.<\/p>\n GMFP\u2019s listed activities include \u201cletter-writing, individual consumer boycotting, through bike-riding, information stalls, leafleting, and our increasing social media output\u201d. It has held demonstrations in support of Palestine Action prisoners, including on 15 December, but it is not affiliated to the group.<\/p>\n In a letter to Nicholson, Green said: \u201cI can confirm my office was told by GMP that \u2018we are comfortable to say that this account has been frozen as a result of an investigation into Palestine Action\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time the police force told Green\u2019s office that it was not involved in the freezing of the account, raising the prospect that it was another law enforcement organisation carrying out the investigation. The National Crime Agency (NCA) declined to comment on any of the Guardian\u2019s questions about bank account freezes. Counter-terrorism police did not respond.<\/p>\n Even before the reason for GMFP\u2019s account being frozen was known, the fact of the block \u2013 and that of Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign\u2019s funds \u2013 was cited in the recent legal challenge<\/a> to the ban on Palestine Action as an example of \u201cfears and uncertainty over the meaning and effect of proscription, including on broader campaigning around Palestine\u201d.<\/p>\n