UK government moves on civil liberties spark concerns of authoritarianism

By Behlul Cetinkaya

LONDON (AA) - In a scathing assessment of the UK government's recent moves concerning civil liberties, renowned human rights lawyer Conor Gearty has raised alarms over what he describes as a growing "disconnect with the public."

Gearty, a former director of the Human Rights Research Center at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), highlighted a trend of intolerance toward political dissent expressed through mass movements.

He pointed out that politicians, influenced by think tanks, are increasingly hostile toward exercising civil liberties and advocate for stringent measures, particularly against protests.

Recent legislative changes and attempted changes have dominated the agenda, sparking widespread concern among civil society organizations and trade unions.

One of the most contentious measures is the Minimum Service Levels Act, which trade unions view as a deliberate attempt to curtail worker actions by making strikes more difficult to organize and conduct.

Moreover, the proposed "Anti-Boycott Bill" has drawn criticism from civil society organizations that argue that it aims to stifle dissent by preventing public institutions from boycotting government policies, particularly those concerning Israel.

These organizations also see measures like the "Public Order Act," which grants more power to the police during protests, as well as efforts to silence members of parliament from speaking at protests, as blatant attempts to suppress dissent, especially regarding issues such as Gaza.

Gearty emphasized the historical significance of mass events in securing civil liberties in the UK, warning that the government's negative view of fundamental rights, such as the right to protest, could have far-reaching consequences for democracy.

- 'UK at the moment is much more authoritarian'

The concerns raised by Gearty echo growing apprehensions within civil society regarding the erosion of civil liberties in the UK.

"Recently, politicians have become even angrier about the exercise of political opinion through mass movements, partly because the government in the UK at the moment is much more authoritarian," he said.

Gearty stated that the government aims to prevent actions by giving police powers and that the regulations within this scope are "ruthless."

Underlining the lack of moderate politicians, he said: "There is strong pressure on the police to use their authority against opposing views. However, in the British system, the police do not receive orders from the government."

Explaining the reason why the government took these steps that will cause it to lose public support, Gearty said: "It may sound cliché, but they are losing their ties with the public and they think their position is superior."

He said that the UK did not intervene in Israel's attacks on Gaza, saying: "One of the things they were supposed to do was to call for a ceasefire, which means stopping Israelis from killing Palestinians."

Gearty stated that the government, on the other hand, seems to be "endorsing" this, those who react to it are labeled as "anti-Semitic."