UK Police Apologize to Pro-Palestine Demonstrator Even as the Government Cracks Down on Protests 

A protester in the United Kingdom who was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for waving a Palestine flag and calling for the liberation of Gaza received an apology from police in the southeastern region of Kent, even as the government moves to limit protests in the country, the Guardian reported. 

Kent police will also pay damages and cover legal costs for the protester, Laura Murton, following an incident on July 14 in Canterbury when armed officers told the woman her protest expressed support for Palestine Action – a group that had been banned earlier that month and designated as a terrorist organization by the British government. 

In the letter, the police admitted to Murton that her right to free speech had been violated and that officers had breached national counter-terrorism policing guidance.  

Officers had told Murton they were going to arrest her unless she gave them her name and address, which she reluctantly provided. The letter also admitted the unlawful processing of her data, which will now be deleted. 

Meanwhile, her lawyer said this case marks the first time a chief constable issued an apology and paid damages over unlawful policing in relation to Palestine Action. 

Murton’s treatment during the protest highlights the growing concerns raised by human rights groups over the UK government’s moves to curb the right to protest.  

On Oct. 5, the government announced new rules that give police broader powers to target repeat demonstrations and even ban protests outright.  

As a result, senior officers would be able to consider the ‘cumulative impact’ of previous protest activity: That means police will have the authority to tell organizers of a demonstration to move elsewhere if a protest has been held at the same site for multiple weeks and has created repeated disorder. Those who violate orders to move risk arrest and prosecution. 

The new rules follow an incident on Oct. 2 in which two people were killed at a Manchester synagogue, the Conversation noted. After the attack, pro-Palestine groups were asked to reconsider planned protests and “respect the grief of British Jews.” Organizers, however, did not cancel their events, arguing that canceling peaceful marches would “let terror win.”  

Amnesty International said that the government is restricting the “basic human right” of assembly. The organization pointed to recent anti-protest bills passed by the government as an example of the state’s efforts to curb peaceful dissent in the country.