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In contemporary Britain, protest has ceased to be a fundamental right. Instead, it has become a privilege that those in power grant or withhold at their discretion. This constitutes the underlying meaning of proposed measures that the ruling administration is advancing, which would determine the timing and location protests can occur, with possible prison sentences for those who disobey these restrictions.

Gradual Weakening of Civil Liberties

Previous governments had already weakened this fundamental freedom: the previous Tory administration had granted law enforcement sweeping new authorities, which global rights bodies had censured as "serious and undue limitations" on civil liberties. Taken together, these progressive assaults on freedom have effectively eliminated the hard-won right to public demonstration.

Exploiting Atrocity to Rationalize Crackdown

The most recent limitations are being defended by referring to last week's terrible anti-Jewish attack on a Manchester Islamic center. We can all agree on widespread consensus that the safety of Jewish communities in Britain must be protected. However, employing this horrific incident as a justification to suppress opposition is not only unrelated to that duty but distorts it.

"When you cannot set boundaries at mass killing, you likely can't draw the line at democracy," commented a well-known American author, whose words that rings true for the current government.

Historical Perspective of Demonstration

Consider Britain's long tradition of public demonstration and direct action against racism and fascism, from the historic 1936 Cable Street confrontation to postwar Jewish anti-fascist movements and the 1970s mobilizations against the far-right organization. Many of these historical demonstrators were branded as extremists in their time, even while they were advocating the rights of minorities.

Current Reality

In today's complicated landscape, here's what's actually happening: Israel – a sovereign nation – is perpetrating what United Nations investigations have characterized as systematic destruction. Its military actions have led the International Criminal Court to issue legal indictments against Israel's prime minister and his ex-military leader.

Western public opinion has changed significantly against Israel's violent actions. In Britain, a substantial majority of the public think Israel has probably committed war crimes. Most people would endorse a total prohibition on weapons exports to the state, and approve the detention of the Israeli leader.

Suppressing Opposition

Having essentially lost the argument, pro-Israel advocates are now exploiting a despicable antisemitic crime to attempt to suppress a popular campaign against a moral catastrophe. The British government appears to be included in this effort. Government officials have failed to implement comprehensive sanctions on Israel and have permitted arms exports to proceed.

People who are demonstrating against the erasure of Gaza have been labeled as hateful extremists. Yet there's a significant reason why there hasn't been a more extensive suppression on these demonstrators until now: extremely few protesters have made genuinely hateful statements about Jewish people, giving police authorities little justification to take action.

Problematic Association

Equating Jewish identity with the policies of the government of Israel is not only manipulative but also dangerous. The official definition of antisemitism, adopted by the British government and many organizations, has been rightly challenged for potentially restricting valid commentary of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its central illustrations: that "holding Jewish people generally accountable for actions of the state of Israel" constitutes prejudice against Jews.

Escalating Restrictions

This is why we've arrived at a point where police authorities can suggest that demonstrations criticizing Israel's actions should be canceled because they might "accidentally or intentionally" endorse antisemitism. Similarly, political figures have declared that recognition of Palestinian statehood has made political parties "complicit" in alleged abuse faced by British Jews.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the very day as the religious center assault, the Israel's army killed numerous of Palestinians in Gaza – adding to the terrible count from 24 months of daily atrocities that have taken many thousands of human lives. British politicians and media outlets have hardly hidden the minimal importance they assign to Palestinian life. This represents one of the most brazen demonstrations of discrimination in contemporary society.

Crossing Thresholds

Our government has already crossed a dangerous boundary by banning Palestine Action, a non-violent, human rights-focused activist collective. Multiple thousands of British protesters have been arrested, primarily for carrying placards opposing mass killing and endorsing the banned organization. Many of those arrested are elderly citizens; among them a former clergyman and the daughter of a World War II genocide survivor.

Global Comparisons

It's easy to see where this path leads. In the United States, government officials helped vilify demonstrations supporting Palestine: a former House Speaker implied that some were "connected to" foreign governments, while the current president described such demonstrations as antisemitic. In taking these actions, they helped legitimize the authoritarian crackdown on such demonstrations – and on free speech in general.

Looking Ahead

If a conservative administration comes to power, it would be given sweeping powers to suppress opposition. What might a Reform government do with this repressive toolkit? Our forebears fought, endured hardship and sacrificed their lives to establish our freedoms. We may eventually rue how casually we permitted them to slip away.