A threat to the right to protest affects us all
JVL Introduction
JVL Executive member Jonathan Rosenhead was the oldest person to be arrested at the Lift the Ban protest in London’s Trafalgar Square on Saturday 11th April. Here he outlines the dangers of the UK government’s proposals to limit our right to protest even still more tightly. Two particularly pernicious legal changes being proposed are giving the police the right to ban demonstrations on the grounds of “cumulative disruption”, and to prevent them anywhere “in the vicinity of places of worship”. As Jonathan explains, this latter is an opportunistic police response to objections by a central London synagogue. One likely additional consequence could be the blaming of Jews for the limits on our rights to protest: and can we imagine banning or limiting a Jewish demonstration because it would pass within a few hundred yards of a Mosque – and, indeed, given the plethora of churches in our towns and cities, where could a march go and be less than a few hundred yards from one?
Jonathan focuses on the remarkable and sustained protests for Palestine, particularly because of the genocide in Gaza. but of course, once on the statute book, these restrictions will be available for use against all future protest movements and any reason for protest.
The right of free assembly is a precious and basic human right, ostensibly cherished by “democracies” such as the UK and USA that castigate countries such as Iran and China that (also) clamp down on protest. We need to stand up against the government’s attempt to stifle it.
LL
This article was originally published by New Arab on Mon 13 Apr 2026. Read the original here.
New UK Policing Bill is a threat to right to protest for Palestine
UK government amendments to the Crime & Policing Bill will strengthen draconian anti-protest laws & the criminalisation of solidarity,
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‘In the vicinity of a place of worship’ could mean banning all protests in Trafalgar Square because of St Martin in the Fields!
The Home Office is ‘in the vicinity of’ Westminster Abbey, moreover…
Excellent article with all of the clarity that this crisis needs to make explicit the power of the Zionist Lobby on all aspects of politics in the allegedly ‘liberal democracies’ of Europe and North America.
I never cease to wonder and speculate why politicians and media of all stripes have for so many years been so afraid of the repercussions of being honest about the reality of Palestinian Genocide in particular regard to International Laws on Genocide.
A well written article about malice from top down, from the Establishment, from the false ‘Labour’ government, from those falsely calling ‘antisemitism’, from entrenched supporters of truly terrorist and genocidal Israel, with the effect, plus intention. of limiting our political liberties within our country.
Ranjeet Brar was also recently arrested, and possibly suspended by his employer, the NHS, over an alleged antisemitic, which really means anti imperialist, speech he did outside the US embassy in London the other day.
Meanwhile, organizations like Shivat Zion, which helps people take part in colonizing Palestine, is able to freely operate in England, and British-Israeli dual citizens are allowed to take part genocide and not face real justice, and the British Labour Party are happy to facilitate this.
It is not really a Labour party Under trade descriptions act it needs to called out. It has damaged the name of Labour party possibly terminally.I certianly would never ever go near it again until it totally changes but it seems that is to late now.But it should not ever use the name Labour party.
The Labour Party needs to be confined to the dustbin of history.