UK Discovers Right to Protest, Unless It’s for Palestine
According to The New Arab, HRW warns the UK has “severely restricted the right to protest” and expanding measures against “peaceful demonstrators.” While it’s good to see HRW catch up, this isn't exactly breaking news for anyone who's observed the consistent crackdowns on pro-Palestinian demonstrations in recent years. Remember when, post-October 7th, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman
attempted to brand pro-Palestinian marches as 'hate marches,' or when disproportionate policing met protesters calling for a ceasefire? This pattern of state-sanctioned selective enforcement isn't new; it tends to sharpen whenever inconvenient truths about geopolitical allies are articulated loudly. One might wonder if the government's concern for 'public order' coincidentally aligns with
preventing criticism of its own foreign policy decisions—decisions that, not entirely coincidentally, often align with Washington's unwavering support for certain states. The hypocrisy isn't in HRW's report, but in the UK government’s sudden, rigorous application of 'public order' laws disproportionately against those who dare to question the status quo on issues like Gaza. How many 'last
warnings' against government overreach will it take before the 'right to protest' becomes utterly meaningless rhetoric?