HRW says protest crackdowns undermine democracy in UK

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday criticized the escalating crackdown on peaceful protests in the UK, urging the government to reverse its ban of Palestine Action as a terrorist group.

In its report, titled "Silencing the Streets," HRW said the right to protest is under attack in the UK.

The UK authorities have "severely restricted" the right to protest, in contravention of their international human rights obligations, the report said, arguing that the Labour government is in the process of expanding repressive measures.

"The UK government should repeal anti-democratic protest restrictions and review and publicly account for all protest arrests and convictions made under laws that courts have ruled unlawful," said the 47-page report.

Lydia Gall, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at HRW, said the UK is now adopting protest-control tactics imposed in countries where democratic safeguards are collapsing.

"The UK should oppose such measures, not replicate and endorse them," said Gall.

The group recalled the government's ban of Palestine Action, as a terrorist organization, a move criticized by UN human rights experts as endangering civil liberties by conflating protest with terrorism.

In July 2025, the UK government decided to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000. The move was formally approved by the House of Commons, which voted 385 to 26 in favor.

It came after members of the group spray painted two Royal Air Force aircraft, causing £7 million ($9.44 million) in damage, according to police. Hundreds of pro-Palestine activists have since been arrested across the UK for holding placards saying "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."

HRW called on the UK Home Office to ensure that post-legislative scrutiny of Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 examines their impact on the right to protest, freedom of assembly, association, and expression under the Human Rights Act.

It also called on the government to "reverse the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, and in the meantime issue guidance to police and prosecutors that peaceful protestors expressing opposition to the decision should not be arrested or charged."