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In today's Britain, protest is no longer a basic freedom. Rather, it has become a privilege that those in power allow or deny as they see fit. This constitutes the underlying meaning of new regulations that the current government is advancing, which would determine when and where demonstrations can take place, with possible imprisonment for those who disobey these limitations.

Gradual Weakening of Democratic Rights

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 censured as "significant and undue restrictions" on democratic freedoms. Collectively, these incremental assaults on liberty have practically eliminated the historically earned right to freedom of protest.

Using Tragedy to Justify Suppression

The latest limitations are being defended by referring to last week's heinous anti-Jewish assault on a British Islamic center. There should be widespread consensus that the security of Jewish communities in Britain must be safeguarded. However, using this atrocity as a pretext to suppress dissent is not only unrelated to that duty but distorts it.

"If you cannot set boundaries at genocide, you probably cannot establish limits at democratic principles," observed a well-known American author, whose words that rings true for the current government.

Historical Context of Protest

Consider Britain's rich history of protest and activism against racism and fascism, from the historic 1936 Cable Street confrontation to postwar Jewish groups opposing fascism and the 1970s demonstrations against the National Front. Many of these historical demonstrators were branded as radicals in their time, even while they were advocating the rights of marginalized groups.

Current Reality

In today's complex situation, here's what's truly occurring: Israel – a sovereign nation – is perpetrating what United Nations investigations have characterized as genocide. Its warfare have led the global justice body to release legal indictments against Israel's prime minister and his former defense minister.

Western public opinion has changed significantly against Israel's violent actions. In Britain, a substantial majority of citizens believe Israel has likely committed international law violations. Most people would support a total prohibition on arms sales to the state, and back the detention of Netanyahu.

Silencing Dissent

Having essentially failed the public debate, pro-Israel advocates are now exploiting a despicable anti-Jewish attack to attempt to silence a popular campaign against a ethical disaster. The British government appears to be involved in this effort. Government officials have not enacted extensive restrictions on Israel and have allowed arms exports to proceed.

People who are protesting against the erasure of Gaza have been labeled as dangerous radicals. Yet there's a significant reason why there hasn't been a more extensive crackdown on these demonstrators until now: very limited protesters have made truly offensive statements about Jewish people, giving law enforcement little justification to take action.

Dangerous Conflation

Equating Jewish heritage with the actions of the government of Israel is not only cynical but also harmful. The standard interpretation of antisemitism, adopted by the British government and numerous institutions, has been appropriately questioned for potentially stifling legitimate criticism of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its central illustrations: that "making Jewish people collectively responsible for decisions of the state of Israel" constitutes antisemitism.

Increasing Limitations

This is why we've arrived at a situation where police authorities can propose that demonstrations opposing Israel's policies should be canceled because they might "accidentally or deliberately" endorse anti-Jewish sentiment. Similarly, political figures have stated that acknowledgment of Palestine as a nation has made organizations "complicit" in alleged abuse faced by Jewish communities.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the same day as the synagogue attack, the Israeli military killed numerous of Palestinians in Gaza – increasing the horrific toll from two years of ongoing violence that have taken tens of thousands of lives. British political leaders and media outlets have hardly hidden the minimal importance they attach to Palestinian life. This represents one of the most brazen demonstrations of discrimination in contemporary society.

Breaking Boundaries

Our government has already passed a concerning boundary by banning Palestine Action, a non-violent, anti-genocide activist collective. Thousands of British protesters have been detained, mostly for carrying signs opposing genocide and supporting the banned organization. Many of those arrested are pensioners; including a former clergyman and the child of a Holocaust survivor.

Global Comparisons

It's easy to see where this path leads. In the United States, government officials helped demonize demonstrations supporting Palestine: a former House Speaker implied that some were "linked with" other nations, while the sitting leader characterized such protests as antisemitic. In doing so, they contributed to normalizing the authoritarian crackdown on such demonstrations – and on free speech in general.

Looking Ahead

If a hard-right government comes to power, it would be granted sweeping powers to control dissent. What might a new administration do with this restrictive framework? Our forebears fought, suffered and died to establish our liberties. We may ultimately rue how casually we allowed them to slip away.