Defending the right to protest

Amnesty has consistently opposed new laws that crackdown on our protest rights, providing evidence to parliament, writing to MPs and Lords to urge them to reject anti-protest powers, and speaking out in the media about the dangers of the legislation.

A Defend Our Juries protester, a woman with grey hair, has been arrested and put in the back of a police van. She is holding her hands up against the window.

Our right to protest in the UK is under threat

The Suffragettes. Pride Marches. Black Lives Matter. Our rights aren't just given to us, they are hard won. When people come together to protest, they change the world and transform lives for the better.

But right now, our right to protest in the UK is under threat. New laws introduced by successive governments severely restrict ordinary citizens' rights to protest. This is dangerous and a breach of international law.

It puts the UK in the company of dictatorships and anti-democratic regimes, and has been widely criticised by lawyers, human rights experts, members of parliament, and international observers.

Amnesty has consistently opposed this crackdown on our rights, providing evidence to parliament, writing to MPs and Lords to urge them to reject anti-protest powers, and speaking out in the media about the dangers of the legislation.

In December 2024, along with Greenpeace and Liberty, we presented petitions with over 200,000 signatures calling on the Labour government to scrap anti-protest laws.

“Only speech that incites violence, hatred or discrimination can be criminalised. Peacefully expressing support for Palestine Action does not do this.”

‘Absurd and wrong’

Unfortunately, Keir Starmer’s government didn’t listen. Instead, they doubled down on repression, choosing to ban protest group Palestine Action under the UK Terrorism Act 2000. This makes membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offense.

Amnesty’s CEO, Sacha Deshmukh, wrote to members of the House of Lords and Commons, ahead of the decision, criticising the UK’s ‘extremely broad legal definition of terrorism’, and urging them to vote against the ban.

The ban passed in the Lords and Commons in early July. Since then, police have made over 2,100 arrests at peaceful demonstrations, most of them for doing little more than holding up sign saying “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.

Only speech that incites violence, hatred or discrimination can be criminalised. Peacefully expressing support for Palestine Action does not do this.

These arrests are in breach of the UK’s international human rights obligations and should not be happening.

In a press release in September 2025, Amnesty’s Campaigns Director, Kerry Moscogiuri said: “It is absurd and wrong for all these individuals to be hauled through the court system and treated as ‘terrorists’.”

Our open letter urging the UK’s Chief Prosecutors to drop all charges against peaceful protestors has got over 130,000 signatures from people around the world.

Taking the Government to court

Shortly after the ban came into effect, a high court judge ruled that the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, could challenge the decision through the courts.

Mr Justice Chamberlain said the ban risked ‘considerable harm to the public interest’ because of a potential ‘chilling effect’ on legitimate political speech.

This the first time that an organisation banned under anti-terrorism law has been granted a court trial to challenge the decision.

The government tried to overturn the ruling but failed, so the hearing will go ahead, probably in late 2025.

Amnesty will act as expert witnesses. We will argue that the decision impinges on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association.

Because we know that defending our right to protest, and to express solidarity with people who are being attacked, oppressed, victimised or abused is a key for upholding democracy and our shared humanity.