A bit of a rhetorical diatribe...
The Dangerous Erosion of Democratic Protest Rights in the UK
The mass arrests of peaceful protesters supporting Palestine Action represent a troubling milestone in the erosion of fundamental democratic rights in Britain. Over 800 people have been arrested in a single weekend simply for displaying placards supporting the group, with over 100 charged under the Terrorism Act.
The Weaponisation of Anti-Terror Laws
The Home Secretary's (Cooper?) decision to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 marks a dangerous expansion of counter-terrorism powers into the realm of political dissent. The UN Human Rights Chief has warned that this represents a misuse of counter-terrorism legislation.
Among those arrested are an 83-year-old retired priest and someone simply holding up a Private Eye cartoon.
This is not about terrorism – it's about silencing legitimate political protest through the back door of security legislation.
Policing as Quasi-arm of Government Policy
What we're witnessing is the transformation of policing from law enforcement into a quasi-governmental tool for suppressing dissent. Since the ban took effect on 5 July, at least 1000 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, the majority while attending peaceful protests. The sheer scale of these arrests suggests this is not routine policing, it is campaign to criminalise political opposition.
Constitutional Dangers and Judicial Independence
While the High Court has granted permission for a judicial review, noting that proscription (outright banning), amounts to a "disproportionate interference" with freedom of expression rights, and criticising the Home Secretary's failure to consult before the ban; the damage to democratic norms is already done.
It is now normal for government to ignore democratic processes. The courts sided with Cooper and refused to pause the ban, giving the home secretary time to create a criminal offence before legal challenges could work through the system.
The Home Secretary's power to proscribe organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000, with almost no recourse to parliament and no requirement to consult with affected groups represents an executive overreach that bypasses proper democratic norms and process. The Home office even now is trying to prevent the group from mounting an appeal and denying them due process.
A Chilling Effect on All Dissent
This isn't just about Palestine Action. It's about establishing a precedent where the government can name any inconvenient political movement as "terrorist" and use the full force of anti-terror legislation to crush it. Today it's Palestine solidarity; tomorrow it could be environmental activists, trade unionists, or any group that challenges government policy. The police already have the power to stop, curtail, or say when and where protests are allowed.
The vast majority of arrests have been for simply "holding signs or placards deemed as supportive of Palestine Action" – criminalising basic forms of political expression that are fundamental to any democracy.
The Future...
If we continue to allow this authoritarianism to continue it will become normalised. The separation of powers, judicial independence, and the right to peaceful protest are not luxuries in a democracy – they are its very foundations. When the state can criminalise political dissent through administrative decree and mass arrest peaceful protesters under terrorism laws, we have already travelled too far down a very dangerous path.
The question is not whether you support Palestine Action's specific tactics or aims (I most certainly do not), but whether you support living in a country where the government can silence any political movement by simply declaring it "terrorist" and arresting anyone who expresses solidarity ot even sympathy with it.
This is a constitutional crisis masquerading as counter-terrorism.
“It’s for our safety, it’s to protect the children, and Uncle Tom Cobbly and all”
