Top EU human rights tells Starmer to back off anti-genocide protesters

Michael O’Flaherty, the most senior human rights official in the EU, has called for changes to Keir Starmer’s ‘lawfare’ war on anti-genocide protest and those opposing Starmer’s decision to proscribe the non-violent direct action protest group Palestine Action. In a letter to Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, O’Flaherty accused his regime of imposing “excessive limits on freedom of assembly and expression” and demanded a “comprehensive” review of all arrests and the laws used against them.

Anti-genocide protest is a human right

O’Flaherty said:

I observe that large numbers of arrests have reportedly been made for displaying placards or banners expressing solidarity with the organisation or disagreement with the government’s decision to proscribe it.

I am aware that ‘support’ for a proscribed group is an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000. In this regard I recall that domestic legislation designed to counter ‘terrorism’ or ‘violent extremism’ must not impose any limitations on fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, that are not strictly necessary for the protection of national security and the rights and freedoms of others.

Changes following the adoption of the Police Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 continue to allow authorities to impose excessive limits on freedom of assembly and expression, and risk over-policing.

He continued:

Following recent court findings that regulations defining serious disruption as ‘more than minor’ disruption are unlawful, I encourage your government to ensure that any arrests or convictions based on these regulations are subject to review.

Furthermore, I would recommend that a comprehensive review of the compliance of the current legislation on the policing of protests with the United Kingdom’s human rights obligations be undertaken.

Starmer’s burgeoning police state has already arrested thousands of peaceful anti-genocide and anti-proscription demonstrators, most of them older and/or disabled and often with force, while ignoring outright violence and hate from far-right mobs. Unhappy that the principled anti-genocide protesters have been undeterred, Starmer and Mahmood are preparing increased police powers specifically targeted at those protesting against Israel’s mass murder of 700,000 Palestinian civilians — two thirds of them children. This has been part of their war on UK citizens’ rights to protect Israel despite the prominence of Jewish humanitarians in the protests.

Featured image via Wikimedia Commons/Arno Mikkor, Aron Urb