Published on: 2026-05-14
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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The UN Special Rapporteur on the issue of freedom of peaceful assembly and associations, Gina Romero, urged the United Kingdom to comply with its international obligations in the field of human rights – in connection with the adoption of legislation restricting protest activities and politically motivated calls for a complete ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
“The entry into force on April 29 of the Crime and Police Act in Great Britain introduces provisions fundamentally incompatible with international obligations in the field of human rights, concerning the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, associations, and expression of opinion,” said Romero.
“Particular concern is caused by the vague concept of ‘cumulative public order violation,’ which grants authorities excessive discretionary powers to restrict gatherings, ignoring the principle that peaceful protests by their nature are associated with a certain level of public order violation, which cannot simply be tolerated,” she added.
Romero also noted that criminal prosecution for wearing masks, as provided by law, is a “particularly problematic issue in the context of increased surveillance, since anonymity is often necessary to protect privacy and prevent the chilling effect.”
The law also introduces additional restrictions on rallies near places of worship. Thus, noted the Special Rapporteur, the state risks creating “prohibited zones” for dissent. Authorities must facilitate the holding of meetings within the “visibility and audibility” of the target audience, emphasized Romero.
At the end of April, after a series of knife attacks in the London area of Golders Green, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that he would consider the possibility of banning some pro-Palestinian protests due to the “cumulative impact” they have on the country’s Jewish community. This statement followed calls from the opposition to introduce a moratorium on all pro-Palestinian protests, which was supported by an independent British expert on terrorism legislation. He asserts that “at the moment it is clearly impossible for such demonstrations not to ‘generate’ antisemitism.”
Antisemitism is a serious problem that must be addressed with purposeful and legal measures
A special rapporteur called on the UK government to refrain from banning pro-Palestinian marches under the pretext of preventing antisemitism.
“Antisemitism is a serious problem that must be addressed with focused and legal measures. It cannot serve as a justification for a complete ban on peaceful protests,” she stated.
Rome expressed concern that the government apparently intends to implement strengthened control over protest actions mainly associated with Muslim communities, while similar control is not applied to other forms of protest directly connected with antisemitic and racist incidents. International law prohibits discrimination in the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly on grounds such as religion and race.
“If restrictions concern a certain behavior—for example, antisemitism—but are applied in such a way that an unreasonable burden is placed on one of the communities defined by religious or ethnic criteria, this can be equated to discrimination,” the expert said.
“Freedom of assembly is a fundamental principle of a democratic society. Banning pro-Palestinian protests would be an infringement on democracy. It is especially important to remember this on the eve of rallies timed to the Nakba anniversary, which will be held on May 16,” she said.
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