My weekly comment column in the daily Plymouth Herald (14.4.26), repeating the very obvious about the undermining of basic political rights and democracy in Britain. We are closely surveilled, micro-managed at work and in our personal lives, and bombarded with nationalist and militarised propaganda. And amidst their engagement with genocide and illegal military invasions, the Government is rearming, preparing for War with huge increases in military spending at the expense of welfare and adaptations to prevent climate collapse.

We Must Protest for the Right to Protest!

The Police arrested 523 people on Saturday during a silent and static protest in London. They unlawfully arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters for holding placards which say “I oppose genocide – I support Palestine Action”.

The government says Palestine Action is a terrorist group, calling supporters “terrorists”. In July last year anti-terrorism legislation was used to make support for the group illegal. Then, three High Court judges overturned that parliamentary decision identifying it violates the Home Secretary’s existing policies, the Human Rights Act and the people’s democratic rights. The legal appeal by the government will take many months.

The Police are bound by the Human Rights Act – the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of assembly. The law can only interfere in a protest where there is clear evidence of the incitement of violence or hatred against others. The subject of these protests is the opposite – the call to an end to violence alongside the demand that the UK government is not engaged with illegal wars. So the designation of “terrorist” is being used to protect the arms manufacturers from exposure of their illegal and deadly trade.

The Decision of the Metropolitan Police to mount mass arrests is evidence that our Police forces are making their own political interpretations of the Law. Far worse is planned.

Today, MP’s will vote in Parliament for a new Law to give Police unprecedented powers to ban recurring protests, turning a fundamental freedom into a privilege granted by the political Police. Authoritarian control. The government is now saying that your right to protest will be judged against what others have done before you – if there have been previous protests on a subject, you cannot protest again, whether the issue has been resolved or not.

It’s not just about limiting any inconvenience or disruption a demonstration may cause – after all, how can protests be of any value if they must be without impact? This is deeply political, immediately shutting down all comment on the Gaza genocide and Palestinian rights.

These legal changes are also pandering to the far-Right and actual fascist organisers in Britain in an absurd bid to buy their votes! Trade union leaders, lawyers and legal experts have condemned the police for blocking the international Nakba Day march on 16th May in favour of the fascist-led “Tommy Robinson” racist demonstration called for the same day in London’s Whitehall. Metropolitan police have favoured the far-Right over a Palestine commemoration of the illegal killings and expulsion of millions.

Imagine how these blanket laws will be used should a far-Right government get into power in 2029: against trade unions (they already are); against human rights (they’ll be disavowed); against all demands for social justice – housing rights, welfare rights, defence of the NHS. Protests banned.

Most shockingly, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Lammy, is now taking away our basic right to trial by Jury. This is a political response to the success of climate protests highlighting the deepening crisis. Climate protesters have suffered effective internment – being held illegally and without trial for 18-20 months, some resorting to hunger strikes in desperation.

When up in court, given the depth of concern about the impact of climate change, many jurors have recognised the defence of climate activists, finding them not guilty, accepting that citizens have a duty in law to raise the alarm about imminent threats to the People’s welfare. So the law is being changed to protect the fossil fuel polluters and deny all opposition.

We should all be up in arms! Protest for the Right to Protest!