UK gov. grants police expanded powers to restrict protests

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Oct 2025 15:34
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The UK government announces new powers for police to restrict protests following the Manchester synagogue attack.

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British police detain a pro-Palestine protester in London, the United Kingdom, on October 2, 2025. (AP)

The UK government announced on Sunday that police will be given greater authority to restrict protests, following a wave of large-scale pro-Palestine demonstrations across the country.

Officials cited concerns over the safety of local communities, particularly Jewish residents, after a synagogue attack in Manchester on Thursday, as an excuse for the decision.

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that police will now be able to assess the “cumulative impact” of repeated protests when deciding whether to impose restrictions. The government also confirmed it will review all protest legislation to ensure public safety while maintaining fundamental freedoms.

“The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country. However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of neighbours to live their lives without fear,” Mahmood said.

London demonstration and arrests

On Saturday, over 1,000 people gathered at Trafalgar Square in central London to protest in solidarity with Palestinians, amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, defying calls from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Metropolitan Police to postpone the event.

Nearly 500 protesters were arrested for supporting Palestine Action, with some engaging in acts of civil disobedience.

Organizers of the demonstration rejected demands to cancel the gathering, stressing they were showing solidarity with Jewish communities affected by the synagogue attack and emphasizing that “cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”

Manchester attack used to justify long-standing crackdown

Thursday’s deadly attack in Manchester left two people dead, one person outside the synagogue and another who was struck by gunfire from responding officers. Three others remain hospitalized, including a person believed to have been accidentally hit by police. The offender, identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old UK citizen of Syrian descent, was shot dead by police within minutes of the attack.

Counter-terrorism authorities have detained four individuals on suspicion of terrorism-related offences connected to the incident.

In the months preceding the Manchester attack, British authorities had already launched a sweeping crackdown on the pro-Palestine movement, criminalizing support for the activist group Palestine Action and arresting hundreds at demonstrations across the country.

Police had imposed strict conditions on marches and repeatedly urged organizers to cancel rallies, citing public order concerns. The Manchester attack is now being used by authorities as a pretext to intensify these measures, with the government now imposing expanded police powers and tighter protest restrictions.