UK bars Andreas Malm before planned Palestine Action event

The UK has barred Swedish academic Andreas Malm from entering the country shortly before he was due to appear at a London event with Palestine Action cofounder Huda Ammori. The Home Office has not publicly given a reason for the decision. Malm said the Home Office told him his presence in the UK was not conducive to the public good, without further explanation. He said the message followed cancellation of his Electronic Travel Authorisation and urged the government to reverse the decision. The event, organised by the magazine Tribune, was scheduled for next week and was to address Palestine Action’s proscription and its implications for free speech. The UK government has proscribed the group under terrorism laws. Malm said he suspected the planned appearance may have prompted the entry restriction, but the Home Office has not confirmed that explanation. Malm, an associate professor of human ecology at Lund University in Sweden, said he had travelled to the UK for decades for academic work, research and conferences. He also said he had not publicly endorsed, promoted or financially supported Palestine Action. In an interview, he suggested the decision could also relate to...