London, January 8, 2026 – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the right to protest in the UK is increasingly under attack. The organization cited recent laws and government measures that restrict peaceful demonstrations.
The report, titled “‘Silencing the Streets’: The Right to Protest Under Attack in the UK,” highlights growing restrictions on protest rights. It comes after Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was briefly arrested during a London demonstration supporting the Palestine Action group. The group has been banned under UK anti-terror laws.
HRW researcher Lydia Gall said, “The UK is now adopting protest-control tactics used in countries where democratic safeguards are collapsing.” The report criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government for continuing restrictive measures introduced by the previous Conservative administration.
The research, covering 2024 and 2025, found that protesters were increasingly detained, charged, and sometimes sentenced to multi-year jail terms for non-violent activities. These included attending meetings to plan protests or using tactics like slow walking on roads, which in the past would only result in fines or suspended sentences.
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of HRW, said the government’s approach appears aimed at showing toughness on law and order. “The UK government has not only failed to repeal restrictive laws but has also expanded them, putting peaceful protest further under attack,” she said.
The report also criticizes a crime and policing bill currently in parliament. It proposes new restrictions, such as allowing police to ban face coverings for demonstrators. HRW urged the government to repeal certain laws and lift the ban on Palestine Action. Since July, over 2,300 people have been arrested for supporting the group.
HRW warned that the precedent set by these laws could affect any form of dissent in the future. “Today it may target climate or Palestine protests, but tomorrow it could be anyone the government disagrees with,” the report said.
The rights organization called on the UK government to reverse these measures to protect democratic freedoms and ensure that peaceful protests are no longer under attack.
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