Yesterday, the government passed a new measure granting authorities sweeping powers to ban protests on the grounds that they take place repeatedly and in the same location.

These powers represent a significant expansion of state authority to restrict the rights to peaceful expression and assembly. Sustained protest has historically been central to achieving democratic change. Banning protest simply because it is persistent risks targeting the very causes that are most likely to be urgent and justified.  

Though their effects will be far more wide-ranging, the new measures mark a further escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress the mass demonstrations for Palestinian rights that have taken place since late 2023.

As Israel continues its campaign of genocide, apartheid and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people, the UK’s focus should be on using its influence to help end these flagrant violations of international law, not penalising those who speak out against them at home.

Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine will continue to stand alongside those mobilising peacefully for Palestinian rights, including at the next national demonstration for Palestine to commemorate the Nakba on 16 May. We remain committed to defending the lawful exercise of the right to protest, and to making clear the Liberal Democrats’ long-standing support for Palestinians in their demands for peace, justice, and self-determination under international law.