UK anti-protest laws may be 'in breach' of international human rights obligations Submitted by Fleur Hargreaves on Thu, 01/08/2026 - 12:13 Human Rights Watch report warns Labour's criminalisation of peaceful protest undermines 'fabric of democracy' Police remove a man protesting against the ban on Palestine Action, outside Britain's Home Office in London on 24 November 2025 (AFP/Toby Shepheard) Off A Human Rights Watch report released on Thursday warns that UK authorities have “severely restricted” the right to protest, undermining human rights such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The report details how the Labour government’s criminalisation of protest risks “silencing dissenting voices, discouraging civic participation, eroding democratic accountability, and ultimately fraying the fabric of democracy itself”. Despite obligations to comply with international human rights law, the report points to legislative changes that contravene such laws, including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023, which were introduced by the previous Conservative government. These measures allow for increased police powers to “impose conditions on protesters, make pre-emptive arrests, and pursue prison sentences for nonviolent protest activity,” according to the report. Whereas previously civil disobedience would only have resulted in fines or community services, the report indicates that protesters are increasingly arrested and sentenced to multi-year prison terms for non-violent actions such as attending planning meetings. In one case referenced by the report, five activists who were part of the environmental direct action group Just Stop Oil received sentences of two to five years in prison for joining a Zoom call to plan a protest. Instead of reversing such draconian crackdowns, the Labour government has expanded on them with the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, which is pending before parliament, and the decision to proscribe the direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Home Office ministers reject their own department's review of counter-extremism policy Read More » The bill, which would extend police powers against protesters, has been called into question by domestic and international human rights bodies, including the European Commissioner for Human Rights and UN experts . Concerns were raised, for example, about the move under the new law to ban face coverings worn by protesters, which is inconsistent with the UK’s obligations to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the UN in 1965. Similarly, restrictions on demonstrations held “in the vicinity of a place of worship” were labelled vague and difficult to determine, with the potential for authorities to enforce these provisions at their own discretion. The report highlights the UK’s obligations to protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which are enshrined in domestic and international law, including under the Human Rights Act 1998. It calls for these restrictions to be repealed or amended and further anti-protest legislation abandoned, warning that efforts to pursue such measures will “pose an ongoing risk to the health of [British] democracy”. 'Hindering' freedoms The proscription of Palestine Action was likewise criticised by the UN Human Rights Chief as “disturbing” and raised concerns about it “hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK”. New legislation has criminalised membership of and support for Palestine Action as an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Human Rights Watch called this an “unprecedented misuse of terrorism legislation to target and criminalize peaceful protest”. Since the group was banned in July 2025, over 2,000 people – mostly pensioners – have been arrested at demonstrations in opposition to the proscription for holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, marking a 660 percent spike in terrorism arrests. London police arrest at least 450 protesters at rally against Palestine Action ban Read More » Plans to prosecute these people could see defendants tried five at a time in two-and-a-half-hour hearings, which lawyers warned could restrict their right to a fair trial. This also comes alongside further clampdowns on civil liberties, including the right to a trial by jury, which the UK’s justice secretary, David Lammy, proposed to scrap for all but the most extreme cases in December. Reforms include the proposal of jury-free “swift courts” in efforts to tackle delays to the court system, but opponents warn these could have adverse effects on defendants. Eight prisoners arrested for activity linked to Palestine Action are currently on hunger strike in protest at the proscription of the group, their treatment and the UK’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. One of the hunger strikers, Heba Muraisi, has passed the 60-day mark and is at risk of imminent organ failure, while another prisoner, Kamran Ahmed, has been hospitalised five times since his strike began. Muraisi and Ahmed were arrested in November 2024, but will not go to trial until June at the earliest, meaning they will remain on remand in prison for 20 months – despite the maximum time of six months, allocated by the Crown Prosecution Service. The detainees were arrested over alleged involvement in break-ins at factories owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems and a Royal Air Force base. They deny the charges. Human Rights News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0