Amnesty condemns arrests made at the Defend Our Juries ‘Lift The Ban’ demo in London today

‘Peaceful protest is a fundamental right. People are understandably outraged by the ongoing genocide being committed in Gaza and are entitled under international human rights law to express their horror’ – Kerry Moscogiuri

Responding to the arrests being made at the Defend Our Juries peaceful protest in London today, Kerry Moscogiuri, Director of Campaigns at Amnesty International UK, said:

“When the Government is arresting people under terrorism laws for sitting peacefully in protest, something is going very wrong here in the UK.

“It is genuinely shocking to see people being hauled from the streets of London by the police for peacefully holding up signs.   

“Let’s be clear, it is disproportionate to the point of absurdity to treat people sitting peacefully in a group holding signs in support of Palestine Action as ‘terrorists’.  

“Any restriction on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be lawful, necessary and proportionate to achieving a legitimate aim. Criminalising speech in this context is only permitted when it incites violence or advocates hatred. Expressing support for Palestine Action does not, in itself, meet this threshold.

"Amnesty has long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad, vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. Today's response only further demonstrates that our concerns were justified. The UK’s prosecutors must end the prosecutions of these peaceful protesters and make clear that they won’t be bringing charges against those arrested.      

“Peaceful protest is a fundamental right. People are understandably outraged by the ongoing genocide being committed in Gaza and are entitled under international human rights law to express their horror.”  

ENDS