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In today's Britain, public demonstration has ceased to be a basic freedom. Rather, it has become a conditional permission that those in power grant or deny as they see fit. This constitutes the underlying meaning of new regulations that the ruling administration is advancing, which would determine when and where demonstrations can occur, with potential prison sentences for those who disobey these restrictions.

Gradual Weakening of Civil Liberties

Earlier administrations had already weakened this fundamental freedom: the previous Tory administration had granted law enforcement extensive additional powers, which international human rights organizations had censured as "serious and unjustified limitations" on civil liberties. Collectively, these progressive attacks on liberty have practically eliminated the historically earned right to public demonstration.

Using Tragedy to Justify Suppression

The latest restrictive measures are being justified by citing last week's terrible anti-Jewish assault on a British mosque. There should be widespread consensus that the safety of Jewish communities in Britain must be safeguarded. However, employing this horrific incident as a pretext to stifle dissent is not only disconnected to that responsibility but perverts it.

"If you can't set boundaries at genocide, you probably cannot draw the line at democracy," commented a well-known American author, whose words that applies equally for the current government.

Historical Perspective of Demonstration

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

Present Situation

In the current complicated landscape, here's what's actually happening: Israel – a foreign state – is perpetrating what United Nations investigations have characterized as systematic destruction. Its warfare have prompted the International Criminal Court to release legal indictments 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 international law violations. Most people would endorse a complete ban on arms sales to the state, and back the detention of the Israeli leader.

Suppressing Opposition

Having essentially failed the argument, Israel's supporters are now seizing on a despicable antisemitic crime to try to suppress a popular campaign against a ethical disaster. The British government seems involved in this effort. Ministers have not enacted comprehensive sanctions on Israel and have permitted weapon shipments to continue.

People who are demonstrating against the erasure 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

Equating Jewish heritage with the policies of the government of Israel is not only manipulative but also harmful. The standard interpretation of antisemitism, accepted by the British government and numerous institutions, has been rightly questioned for potentially stifling legitimate criticism of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its key examples: that "making Jewish people generally accountable for actions of the state of Israel" constitutes antisemitism.

Increasing Limitations

This is why we've reached a point where law enforcement can suggest that protests opposing Israel's actions should be canceled because they might "inadvertently or deliberately" endorse anti-Jewish sentiment. Similarly, political figures have declared that recognition of Palestinian statehood has made organizations "implicated" in alleged abuse faced by Jewish communities.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the very day as the synagogue attack, the Israel's army killed numerous of Palestinian civilians in Gaza – increasing the terrible count from two years of daily atrocities that have taken many thousands of lives. British politicians and media outlets have hardly hidden the limited value they assign to Palestinian life. This represents one of the most brazen expressions of discrimination in our time.

Breaking Boundaries

Our government has already crossed a dangerous boundary by banning Palestine Action, a peaceful, human rights-focused direct action organization. Multiple thousands of British demonstrators have been arrested, mostly for carrying placards against genocide and supporting the banned organization. Many of those detained are elderly citizens; among them a former clergyman and the child of a Holocaust survivor.

Global Comparisons

It's not difficult to see where this trajectory leads. In the United States, political leaders helped demonize pro-Palestinian protests: a former House Speaker suggested that some were "connected to" other nations, while the sitting leader described such protests as antisemitic. In doing so, they contributed to normalizing the repressive measures on such demonstrations – and on free speech in general.

Future Concerns

If a hard-right government comes to power, it would be granted sweeping powers to control dissent. What might a Reform government do with this repressive toolkit? Our forebears fought, suffered and died to secure our liberties. We may ultimately regret how casually we allowed them to be eroded.