The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental human right, but it has been seriously undermined in the UK in recent years. The latest example of this is the arrest of the Chief Steward, Chris Nineham, and others at the recent Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstration on 18th January and the subsequent bringing of charges against Ben Jamal, the Director of the PSC, based on claims which video evidence seems to clearly contradict.
The conditions which were imposed by the Metropolitan Police on the protest, preventing assembly at the BBC despite a track record of peaceful protests for over a year, are also concerning: they seem to rely on legal powers (a sweeping definition of ‘serious disruption’) that the High Court have previously ruled to be unlawful, but have been left in effect while awaiting an appeal.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and many others have made clear that recent legislation and other changes to the treatment of protesters by police and in the courts are disproportionate and pose a fundamental threat to the right to protest.
We add our voice to those calling for the charges against Chris Nineham, Ben Jamal and others to be dropped.
We also believe these events, along with the treatment of peaceful climate protesters, further strengthen the case for an urgent overhaul of the law on protest. These include the raft of anti-protest legislation which was brought in by the Conservative government without any clear justification; the removal of the legal defence for protesters in court of ‘necessity’ or acting to prevent a greater harm; and the existence of a parallel system of private law in the sweeping use of civil injunctions. A Labour government, especially one led by a former human rights lawyer, should not be upholding anti-protest laws which are disproportionate, unjust, and breach human rights.
Find out more about attacks on the right to protest