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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 withhold at their discretion. This constitutes the underlying meaning of proposed measures that the current government is putting forward, which would determine the timing and location demonstrations can occur, with possible prison sentences for those who defy these restrictions.

Gradual Weakening of Democratic Rights

Previous administrations had already weakened this fundamental freedom: the previous Tory administration had given law enforcement extensive additional powers, which global rights bodies had censured as "significant and undue limitations" on civil liberties. Collectively, these incremental assaults on freedom have effectively eliminated the hard-won right to freedom of protest.

Using Atrocity to Rationalize Suppression

The most recent restrictive measures are being defended by citing last week's terrible anti-Jewish assault on a British Islamic center. There should be widespread consensus that the security of Jewish communities in Britain must be protected. However, using this horrific incident as a pretext to suppress dissent is not only disconnected to that duty but perverts it.

"If you can't set boundaries at genocide, you probably cannot draw the line at democratic principles," commented a prominent American author, a statement that applies equally for the present administration.

Historical Context of Demonstration

Consider Britain's long tradition of public demonstration and direct action against racial discrimination and authoritarianism, from the historic 1936 Cable Street confrontation to after World War II Jewish groups opposing fascism 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 fighting for 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 led the global justice body to release legal indictments against Israel's prime minister and his ex-military leader.

Western public opinion has shifted dramatically against Israel's violent actions. In Britain, a large percentage of the public think Israel has likely committed international law violations. Most people would support a complete ban on arms sales to the state, and back the arrest of the Israeli leader.

Suppressing Opposition

Having essentially failed the public debate, Israel's supporters are now exploiting a vile antisemitic crime to attempt to suppress a mass movement against a moral catastrophe. The British government seems involved in this attempt. Ministers have failed to implement extensive restrictions on Israel and have permitted weapon shipments to continue.

People who are demonstrating against the erasure of Gaza have been characterized as dangerous radicals. Yet there's a important factor why there hasn't been a broader suppression on these protesters until now: extremely few protesters have made genuinely hateful statements about Jewish people, giving police authorities little justification to intervene.

Dangerous Conflation

Equating Jewish heritage with the actions of the Israeli state is not only cynical but also harmful. The standard interpretation of antisemitism, accepted by the British government and many organizations, has been appropriately questioned for potentially restricting legitimate criticism of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its central illustrations: that "making Jewish people generally accountable for decisions of the state of Israel" constitutes prejudice against Jews.

Increasing Limitations

This is why we've reached a situation where law enforcement can suggest that demonstrations opposing Israel's policies should be canceled because they might "accidentally or deliberately" support anti-Jewish sentiment. Similarly, political figures have stated that acknowledgment of Palestinian statehood has made political parties "implicated" in supposed mistreatment experienced by Jewish communities.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the same day as the synagogue attack, the Israel's army killed numerous of Palestinians in Gaza – adding to the terrible count from two years of ongoing violence that have claimed many thousands of lives. British politicians and media outlets have barely concealed the minimal importance they assign to Palestinian existence. This represents one of the boldest demonstrations of racism in our time.

Crossing Thresholds

Our government has already passed a concerning threshold by banning a specific activist group, a non-violent, human rights-focused activist collective. Multiple thousands of British protesters have been arrested, mostly for holding signs against mass killing and endorsing the banned organization. Many of those arrested are pensioners; including a former clergyman and the child of a World War II genocide survivor.

International Parallels

It's easy to see where this path leads. In the United States, political leaders helped vilify pro-Palestinian protests: a ex-political leader implied that some were "connected to" foreign governments, while the sitting leader described such demonstrations as antisemitic. In taking these actions, they contributed to normalizing the authoritarian crackdown on such protests – and on freedom of expression in general.

Future Concerns

If a conservative administration comes to power, it would be granted extensive authority to suppress opposition. What might a new administration do with this repressive toolkit? Our forebears struggled, suffered and died to secure our freedoms. We may ultimately rue how casually we permitted them to be eroded.