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In today's Britain, public demonstration has ceased to be a fundamental right. Instead, it has become a conditional permission that authorities allow or withhold at their discretion. This represents the underlying meaning of new regulations that the ruling administration is putting forward, which would determine when and where demonstrations can occur, with possible imprisonment for those who defy these limitations.

Gradual Weakening of Civil Liberties

Previous governments had already undermined this essential right: the previous Tory administration had given law enforcement sweeping additional powers, which global rights bodies had censured as "serious and unjustified limitations" on civil liberties. Taken together, these progressive attacks on freedom have effectively abolished the historically earned right to public demonstration.

Using Atrocity to Rationalize Suppression

The most recent limitations are being justified by referring to last week's terrible anti-Jewish attack on a British Islamic center. We can all agree on widespread consensus that the security of Jewish communities in Britain must be protected. However, employing this atrocity as a pretext to stifle opposition is not only disconnected to that duty but distorts it.

"When you can't set boundaries at mass killing, you probably cannot establish limits at democracy," observed a prominent American author, whose words that rings true for the present administration.

Historical Perspective of Demonstration

Consider Britain's long tradition of protest and activism against racial discrimination and fascism, from the 1936 Battle of Cable Street to postwar Jewish groups opposing fascism and the 1970s demonstrations against the National Front. Many of these historical demonstrators were labeled as extremists in their era, even while they were advocating the freedoms of minorities.

Present Situation

In today's complicated landscape, here's what's truly occurring: 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 arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and his ex-military leader.

International popular sentiment has changed significantly against Israel's violent actions. In Britain, a substantial majority of the public think Israel has likely committed war crimes. Most people would endorse a total prohibition on arms sales to the nation, and back the detention of Netanyahu.

Suppressing Opposition

Having largely lost the public debate, pro-Israel advocates are now exploiting a vile anti-Jewish attack to try to silence a mass movement against a ethical disaster. The British government appears to be involved in this effort. Ministers have failed to implement extensive restrictions on Israel and have allowed arms exports to proceed.

People who are demonstrating against the destruction of Gaza have been characterized as hateful extremists. Yet there's a significant reason why there hasn't been a broader crackdown on these protesters until now: very limited protesters have made genuinely hateful statements about Jewish people, giving law enforcement little justification to take action.

Dangerous Conflation

Equating Jewish identity with the policies of the Israeli state is not only manipulative but also harmful. The official definition of antisemitism, accepted by the British government and many organizations, has been appropriately questioned for potentially stifling legitimate criticism of Israel. However, there should be no disagreement about one of its key examples: that "making Jewish people generally accountable for decisions of the state of Israel" constitutes antisemitism.

Increasing Limitations

This is why we've reached a situation where law enforcement can suggest that demonstrations criticizing Israel's policies should be canceled because they might "accidentally or intentionally" endorse antisemitism. Similarly, political figures have declared that acknowledgment of Palestine as a nation has made organizations "complicit" in alleged abuse faced by British Jews.

Inconsistent Treatment

On the same day as the synagogue attack, the Israeli military killed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza – adding to the horrific toll from 24 months of ongoing violence that have taken tens of thousands of lives. British political leaders and media outlets have hardly hidden the limited value they assign to Palestinian existence. This represents one of the boldest expressions of racism in our time.

Breaking Boundaries

Our government has already crossed a dangerous boundary by banning Palestine Action, a non-violent, human rights-focused activist collective. Multiple thousands of British demonstrators have been arrested, mostly for carrying placards against genocide and supporting the banned organization. Many of those detained are elderly citizens; among them a retired priest and the child of a Holocaust survivor.

International Parallels

It's easy to see where this trajectory leads. In the United States, political leaders helped demonize demonstrations supporting Palestine: a ex-political leader suggested that some were "linked with" foreign governments, while the sitting leader characterized such protests as antisemitic. In taking these actions, they helped legitimize the repressive measures on such demonstrations – and on freedom of expression in general.

Looking Ahead

If a hard-right government comes to power, it would be granted sweeping powers to control dissent. What might a Reform government do with this repressive toolkit? Our forebears struggled, suffered and died to establish our liberties. We may ultimately rue how easily we allowed them to slip away.