🔗 Share this article

In today's Britain, public demonstration has ceased to be a fundamental right. Rather, it has become a conditional permission that authorities allow or deny as they see fit. This represents the underlying meaning of proposed measures that the current government is putting forward, which would dictate when and where protests can occur, with possible imprisonment for those who defy these limitations.

Gradual Weakening of Civil Liberties

Previous administrations had already undermined this fundamental freedom: the previous Tory administration had granted law enforcement sweeping new authorities, which global rights bodies had condemned as "serious and undue limitations" on democratic freedoms. Taken together, these incremental attacks on liberty have practically abolished the hard-won right to public demonstration.

Using Tragedy to Justify Crackdown

The latest restrictive measures are being justified by citing last week's terrible anti-Jewish attack on a British Islamic center. We can all agree on universal agreement that the security of British Jews must be safeguarded. However, employing this horrific incident as a pretext to suppress dissent is not only unrelated to that responsibility but perverts it.

"When you can't draw the line at genocide, you probably can't draw the line at democratic principles," observed a well-known American author, a statement that applies equally for the current government.

Historical Context of Demonstration

Reflect on Britain's long tradition of protest and direct action against racism and fascism, from the 1936 Battle of Cable Street to postwar Jewish anti-fascist movements and the 1970s mobilizations against the far-right organization. Many of these early protesters were labeled as extremists in their time, even while they were fighting for the freedoms of minorities.

Current Reality

In the current complex situation, here's what's truly occurring: The Israeli government – a sovereign nation – is committing acts that international bodies have described as systematic destruction. Its military actions have led the global justice body to issue arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.

International public opinion has changed significantly against Israel's violent actions. In Britain, a large percentage of the public believe Israel has likely committed war crimes. Most people would endorse a complete ban on weapons exports to the state, and back the arrest of Netanyahu.

Suppressing Opposition

Having essentially lost the argument, Israel's supporters are now seizing on a vile anti-Jewish attack to attempt to suppress a mass movement against a moral catastrophe. The British government seems involved in this effort. Government officials have not enacted comprehensive sanctions on Israel and have permitted weapon shipments to proceed.

People who are protesting against the erasure of Gaza have been characterized as hateful extremists. Yet there's a significant reason why there hasn't been a more extensive crackdown on these protesters until now: very limited protesters have made truly offensive statements about Jewish people, giving police authorities minimal reason to intervene.

Problematic Association

Equating Jewish identity with the actions of the government of Israel is not only manipulative but also harmful. The standard interpretation of antisemitism, accepted by the British government and many organizations, has been appropriately challenged for potentially restricting legitimate criticism of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its key examples: that "making Jewish people generally accountable for decisions of the state of Israel" constitutes antisemitism.

Escalating Restrictions

This is why we've arrived at a point where law enforcement can suggest that protests opposing Israel's policies should be called off because they might "inadvertently or intentionally" endorse anti-Jewish sentiment. Similarly, political figures have declared that acknowledgment of Palestine as a nation has made political parties "complicit" in supposed mistreatment experienced by Jewish communities.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the same day as the religious center assault, the Israeli military killed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza – increasing the horrific toll from two years of ongoing violence that have claimed many thousands of lives. British political leaders and media outlets have hardly hidden the minimal importance they assign to Palestinian existence. This represents one of the most brazen expressions of racism in our time.

Crossing Thresholds

Our government has already crossed a dangerous threshold by proscribing Palestine Action, a peaceful, human rights-focused activist collective. Thousands of British protesters have been detained, primarily for holding signs against genocide and endorsing the proscribed group. Many of those detained are elderly citizens; including a former clergyman and the daughter of a World War II genocide survivor.

Global Comparisons

It's not difficult to see where this path leads. In the United States, government officials helped vilify pro-Palestinian protests: a ex-political leader suggested that some were "connected to" other nations, while the current president characterized such protests as antisemitic. In taking these actions, they contributed to normalizing the authoritarian crackdown on such demonstrations – and on free speech in general.

Looking Ahead

If a conservative administration comes to power, it would be granted sweeping powers to suppress dissent. What might a new administration do with this restrictive framework? Our forebears fought, endured hardship and sacrificed their lives to secure our liberties. We may ultimately regret how casually we permitted them to be eroded.