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In contemporary Britain, public demonstration is no longer a basic freedom. Instead, it has become a privilege that authorities grant or deny as they see fit. This constitutes the implication of new regulations that the ruling administration is putting forward, which would determine when and where protests can occur, with potential prison sentences for those who defy these limitations.

Erosion of Democratic Rights

Previous governments had already undermined this fundamental freedom: the previous Tory administration had granted law enforcement extensive additional powers, which international human rights organizations had condemned as "significant and undue restrictions" on civil liberties. Collectively, these incremental assaults on liberty have effectively abolished the historically earned right to freedom of protest.

Using Tragedy to Justify Crackdown

The most recent restrictive measures are being defended by referring to last week's heinous antisemitic assault on a Manchester Islamic center. We can all agree on widespread consensus that the security of British Jews must be safeguarded. However, using this horrific incident as a justification to stifle dissent is not only unrelated to that responsibility but perverts it.

"When you can't draw the line at mass killing, you probably cannot establish limits at democratic principles," observed a prominent American author, a statement that rings true for the present administration.

Historical Perspective of Demonstration

Consider Britain's long tradition of public demonstration and direct action against racial discrimination and fascism, from the 1936 Battle of Cable Street to postwar Jewish anti-fascist movements and the 1970s mobilizations against the National Front. Many of these early protesters were labeled as radicals in their time, even while they were fighting for the freedoms of minorities.

Current Reality

In the current complicated landscape, here's what's truly occurring: The Israeli government – a foreign state – is perpetrating what United Nations investigations have described as systematic destruction. Its warfare have led the global justice body to issue legal indictments against Israel's prime minister and his former defense minister.

International public opinion has shifted dramatically against Israel's violent actions. In Britain, a large percentage of citizens think Israel has probably committed war crimes. Most people would endorse a complete ban on arms sales to the nation, and approve the arrest of Netanyahu.

Suppressing Opposition

Having essentially failed the argument, Israel's supporters are now seizing on a despicable anti-Jewish attack to attempt to silence a mass movement against a ethical disaster. The British government appears to be involved in this attempt. Government officials have failed to implement comprehensive sanctions on Israel and have allowed arms exports to continue.

People who are protesting against the destruction of Gaza have been characterized as hateful extremists. Yet there's a significant reason why there hasn't been a broader suppression on these protesters until now: extremely few protesters have made truly offensive statements about Jewish people, giving law enforcement little justification to intervene.

Dangerous Conflation

Merging Jewish heritage with the actions of the government of Israel is not only cynical but also harmful. The official definition of anti-Jewish prejudice, 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 "holding Jewish people generally accountable for decisions of the state of Israel" constitutes prejudice against Jews.

Escalating Restrictions

This is why we've reached a situation where law enforcement can suggest that protests opposing Israel's policies should be called off because they might "inadvertently or deliberately" support anti-Jewish sentiment. Similarly, political figures have declared that recognition of Palestinian statehood has made political parties "implicated" in supposed mistreatment experienced by British Jews.

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 24 months of ongoing violence that have claimed tens of thousands of human lives. British political leaders and news organizations have hardly hidden the minimal importance they attach to Palestinian existence. This represents one of the most brazen expressions of racism in our time.

Crossing Thresholds

Our government has already passed a dangerous threshold by proscribing Palestine Action, a non-violent, human rights-focused activist collective. Multiple thousands of British protesters have been arrested, mostly for holding signs opposing genocide and endorsing the proscribed group. Many of those detained are pensioners; among them a retired priest and the child of a Holocaust survivor.

International Parallels

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

Future Concerns

If a hard-right government comes to power, it would be granted sweeping powers to control opposition. What might a Reform government do with this restrictive framework? Our forebears struggled, suffered and died to establish our freedoms. We may ultimately rue how casually we allowed them to be eroded.