🔗 Share this article

In today's Britain, protest has ceased to be a basic freedom. Rather, it has become a privilege that authorities allow or withhold as they see fit. This represents the underlying meaning of proposed measures that the ruling administration is putting forward, which would determine the timing and location protests can take place, with possible imprisonment for those who defy these limitations.

Gradual Weakening of Civil Liberties

Earlier governments had already weakened this fundamental freedom: the previous Tory administration had given law enforcement extensive additional powers, which international human rights organizations had condemned as "serious and unjustified restrictions" on civil liberties. Collectively, these progressive assaults on liberty have effectively eliminated the hard-won right to public demonstration.

Using Tragedy to Justify Suppression

The latest restrictive measures are being defended 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 Jewish communities in Britain must be safeguarded. However, employing this atrocity as a justification to stifle opposition is not only unrelated to that responsibility but distorts it.

"If you can't draw the line at mass killing, you probably can't draw the line at democratic principles," commented a well-known American author, whose words that rings true for the present administration.

Historical Perspective of Protest

Consider Britain's long tradition of public demonstration and activism against racism and fascism, from the historic 1936 Cable Street confrontation to after World War II Jewish anti-fascist movements and the 1970s demonstrations against the National Front. Many of these historical demonstrators were branded as extremists in their time, even while they were advocating the freedoms of marginalized groups.

Present Situation

In the current complicated landscape, here's what's truly occurring: Israel – a sovereign nation – is committing acts that international bodies have characterized as systematic destruction. Its military actions have prompted the global justice body to issue arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.

Western public opinion has shifted dramatically against Israel's military campaign. In Britain, a substantial majority of the public believe Israel has likely committed international law violations. Most people would endorse a complete ban on arms sales to the state, and approve the arrest of the Israeli leader.

Silencing Dissent

Having essentially failed the argument, Israel's supporters are now exploiting a vile antisemitic crime to try to suppress a popular campaign against a ethical disaster. The British government seems involved in this effort. Government officials have failed to implement extensive restrictions on Israel and have allowed weapon shipments to proceed.

People who are protesting against the destruction of Gaza have been labeled as dangerous radicals. Yet there's a important factor why there hasn't been a more extensive suppression on these protesters until now: extremely few protesters have made truly offensive statements about Jewish people, giving law enforcement little justification to intervene.

Problematic Association

Equating Jewish heritage with the actions of the Israeli state is not only cynical but also harmful. The standard interpretation of anti-Jewish prejudice, adopted by the British government and many organizations, has been rightly challenged for potentially stifling legitimate criticism of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its key examples: that "making Jewish people collectively responsible for decisions of the state of Israel" constitutes prejudice against Jews.

Increasing Limitations

This is why we've arrived at a situation where law enforcement can suggest that protests opposing Israel's policies should be canceled because they might "accidentally or deliberately" support antisemitism. Similarly, government officials have declared that recognition of Palestinian statehood has made organizations "complicit" in supposed mistreatment experienced by British Jews.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the same day as the synagogue attack, the Israel's army killed dozens of Palestinian civilians in Gaza – adding to the horrific toll from two years of daily atrocities that have taken many thousands of human lives. British politicians and media outlets have hardly hidden the minimal importance they attach to Palestinian life. This represents one of the most brazen demonstrations of racism in our time.

Crossing Thresholds

Our government has already passed a dangerous boundary by banning Palestine Action, a non-violent, human rights-focused activist collective. Multiple thousands of British demonstrators have been arrested, mostly for holding signs opposing genocide and endorsing the banned organization. Many of those arrested are elderly citizens; including a retired priest and the child of a World War II genocide survivor.

International Parallels

It's easy to see where this trajectory leads. In the United States, political leaders helped vilify demonstrations supporting Palestine: a ex-political leader suggested that some were "linked with" foreign governments, while the sitting leader characterized such protests as antisemitic. In taking these actions, they contributed to normalizing the repressive measures on such demonstrations – and on freedom of expression in general.

Looking Ahead

If a conservative administration comes to power, it would be granted sweeping powers to control dissent. What might a Reform government do with this restrictive framework? Our ancestors struggled, suffered and sacrificed their lives to establish our freedoms. We may ultimately regret how casually we permitted them to slip away.