Sunday, August 17, 2025
Heavy-handed policing of Palestine protests under attack
The paper says that in the letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, and Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan police, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the perception that peaceful protest could attract disproportionate police attention “undermines confidence in our human rights protections”:
Kishwer Falkner, the EHRC chair, wrote that it was vital that any policing of protests was both proportionate and based on clear legal tests.
The letter raised concerns about “reports of police engagement with individuals participating in forms of protest that are not linked to any proscribed organisation”.
It cited as an example the case of Laura Murton, first revealed by the Guardian. Kent police threatened her with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying “Free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide”.
Murton filmed police telling her that even such general statements “all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government”.
During the exchange, one officer said the phrase “Free Gaza” was “supportive of Palestine Action”, that it was illegal “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation”, and that she had committed that offence with her signs.
Falkner wrote: “Whilst we acknowledge police expertise in assessing security risks, we want to emphasise that any interference with protest rights must be lawful and assessed case by case.
“Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences.
“This concern extends beyond those directly affected by police engagement to the broader health of our democracy, because the perception that peaceful protest may attract disproportionate police attention undermines confidence in our human rights protections.”
Falkner urged ministers and police to make sure all officers were given “clear and consistent guidance on their human rights obligations in relation to protest”, which should “ensure that the appropriate balance is maintained between public safety and the protection of essential human rights”.
Murton told the Guardian last week that her solicitors had issued a letter of claim on her behalf to the chief constable of Kent police, in what was also said to be a move to remind other police forces of their responsibilities towards peaceful protests.
Falkner said in a statement: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy and must be protected even when dealing with complex and sensitive issues.
“We recognise the genuine challenges the police face in maintaining public safety, but we are concerned that some recent responses may not strike the right balance between security and fundamental rights.
“Our role as the national human rights institution is to uphold the laws that safeguard everyone’s right to fairness, dignity and respect. When we see reports of people being questioned or prevented from peaceful protests that don’t support proscribed organisations, we have a duty to speak out.”
This suppression of legitimate protest and the undermining of democratic rights is the responsibiity of Labour ministers and their unjustified proscription of Palestine Action. Labour have always had an authoritarian streak and it is becoming more evident in their actions since coming to power.
