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The UK government is set to give police broader powers to restrict demonstrations, citing concerns that repeated large-scale pro-Palestinian protests have caused “considerable fear” within the Jewish community.
The announcement comes in the wake of Thursday’s deadly knife and vehicle attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
The government said officers would now be able to take into account the “cumulative impact” of protests when imposing restrictions.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stressed that while the right to protest is fundamental, it must be balanced with the public’s right to safety and peace.
Saturday saw over 1,000 people gather in Trafalgar Square, London, for a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with nearly 500 arrests linked to the banned Palestine Action campaign.
Defend Our Juries, a group supporting Palestine Action, condemned the new measures as an “extraordinary new affront to democracy” and vowed to challenge the ban in the High Court in November.
Organisers had earlier stated they were “standing in solidarity” with the Jewish community while insisting that cancelling peaceful protests would “let terror win.”
Mahmood highlighted the ongoing concerns of the Jewish community, noting that repeated protests can leave certain groups feeling unsafe and intimidated.
The synagogue attack involved 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a UK citizen of Syrian descent, who was shot dead by police. One person was killed in the attack, with a second fatality believed to be a result of police gunfire. Three others remain seriously injured.
Counter-terrorism authorities have been granted extended detention powers for four individuals arrested in connection with the incident.
The UK has witnessed a surge in pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza, which have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
Mahmood also noted rising antisemitism and other forms of hatred across the country, warning of “malign and dark forces running amok.”
