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In today's Britain, protest has ceased to be a basic freedom. Rather, it has become a conditional permission that authorities grant or deny at their discretion. This constitutes the underlying meaning of new regulations that the current government is putting forward, which would dictate when and where demonstrations can take place, with possible prison sentences for those who defy these restrictions.

Gradual Weakening of Democratic Rights

Earlier governments had already weakened this fundamental freedom: the former Conservative government had given law enforcement extensive new authorities, which global rights bodies had censured as "serious and undue limitations" on civil liberties. Taken together, these progressive attacks on liberty have effectively eliminated the historically earned right to public demonstration.

Using Tragedy to Justify Suppression

The latest restrictive measures are being justified by citing last week's heinous anti-Jewish assault on a British Islamic center. We can all agree on 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 disconnected to that duty but distorts it.

"When you cannot set boundaries at mass killing, you probably cannot establish limits at democracy," observed a prominent American author, whose words that rings true for the current government.

Historical Context of Demonstration

Consider Britain's long tradition of public demonstration and direct action against racism and authoritarianism, from the historic 1936 Cable Street confrontation to postwar Jewish groups opposing fascism and the 1970s mobilizations against the far-right organization. Many of these early protesters were labeled as extremists in their era, even while they were fighting for the freedoms of minorities.

Current Reality

In today's complex situation, here's what's actually occurring: Israel – a foreign state – is perpetrating acts that international bodies have described as genocide. Its military actions have led the global justice body to release arrest warrants against Israel's prime minister and his ex-military leader.

International public opinion has changed significantly against Israel's military campaign. In Britain, a substantial majority of the public think Israel has probably committed international law violations. Most people would endorse a complete ban on weapons exports to the state, and approve the detention of Netanyahu.

Silencing Dissent

Having essentially lost the argument, pro-Israel advocates are now exploiting a despicable antisemitic crime to attempt to silence a mass movement against a ethical disaster. The British government seems included in this effort. Government officials have failed to implement extensive restrictions on Israel and have permitted weapon shipments to continue.

People who are demonstrating against the destruction of Gaza have been labeled as hateful extremists. Yet there's a important factor why there hasn't been a more extensive crackdown on these demonstrators until now: extremely few protesters have made truly offensive statements about Jewish people, giving law enforcement minimal reason to intervene.

Dangerous Conflation

Merging Jewish identity with the actions of the government of Israel is not only manipulative but also dangerous. The standard interpretation of antisemitism, accepted by the British government and numerous institutions, has been rightly challenged for potentially restricting valid commentary of Israel. However, there should be universal agreement about one of its central illustrations: that "making Jewish people collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel" constitutes antisemitism.

Increasing Limitations

This is why we've reached a situation where law enforcement can suggest that protests criticizing Israel's actions should be canceled because they might "accidentally or intentionally" support anti-Jewish sentiment. Similarly, political figures have stated that acknowledgment of Palestine as a nation has made political parties "implicated" in supposed mistreatment experienced by British Jews.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the very day as the synagogue attack, the Israel's army killed dozens of Palestinian civilians in Gaza – adding to the horrific toll from two years of daily atrocities that have taken many thousands of lives. British political leaders and news organizations have hardly hidden the minimal importance they attach to Palestinian life. This represents one of the most brazen demonstrations of racism in contemporary society.

Breaking Boundaries

Our government has already passed a dangerous threshold by proscribing a specific activist group, a non-violent, human rights-focused activist collective. Thousands of British protesters have been detained, mostly for carrying signs against genocide and supporting the banned organization. Many of those arrested are pensioners; among them a former clergyman and the child of a Holocaust survivor.

International Parallels

It's easy to see where this trajectory leads. In the United States, government officials helped vilify demonstrations supporting Palestine: a former House Speaker suggested that some were "connected to" other nations, while the current president described such demonstrations as anti-Jewish. In taking these actions, they contributed to normalizing the authoritarian crackdown on such protests – and on free speech in general.

Looking Ahead

If a hard-right government comes to power, it would be granted extensive authority to control dissent. What might a Reform government do with this repressive toolkit? Our forebears struggled, suffered and sacrificed their lives to establish our liberties. We may eventually rue how casually we permitted them to slip away.