London police have arrested hundreds of protestors in recent months following the ban of the organization ‘Palestine Action’. A new report highlights growing concerns regarding the state of protest rights in the United Kingdom.
A leading human rights organization asserted on Thursday that the right to protest in the UK is “under attack” due to increasingly restrictive measures that impose stricter conditions and penalties on peaceful demonstrations.
In a report titled ‘Silencing the Streets: The Right to Protest Under Attack in the United Kingdom,’ the organization condemned the implementation of what it described as “anti-democratic restrictions” on the right to protest, arguing that these measures violate the country’s international human rights obligations.
The organization’s UK director, stated, “We are witnessing an erosion of fundamental democratic rights, and this must be stopped.”
The report lamented that the current government, which assumed power in the summer of 2024, has not repealed two laws passed in 2022 and 2023. These laws lowered the threshold for defining public disorder, making arrests easier, and authorized preventative arrests. The legislation followed a surge in protests by environmental groups.
Concerns were also raised about proposed measures that could further restrict the right to protest. These measures could potentially suppress individuals who cover their faces during demonstrations and restrict gatherings in front of places of worship.
In October 2025, the British government granted police broader powers to impose restrictions on protests, with the Home Office stating that it would review all laws related to protests.
DZWatch will continue to follow this developing story.
