The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracy

[JacksinPA]

The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracy

Britain is one of the world’s oldest democracies, but some worry that essential rights and freedoms are under threat.

apnews.com

LONDON (AP) — For hanging a banner reading “Just Stop Oil” off a bridge, an engineer got a three-year prison sentence. Just for walking slowly down the street, scores of people have been arrested.

For holding a sign outside a courthouse reminding jurors of their right to acquit defendants, a retiree faces up to two years in prison.

They are among hundreds of environmental activists arrested for peaceful demonstrations in the U.K., where tough new laws restrict the right to protest.

The Conservative government says the laws prevent extremist activists from hurting the economy and disrupting daily life. Critics say civil rights are being eroded without enough scrutiny from lawmakers or protection by the courts. They say the sweeping arrests of peaceful demonstrators, along with government officials labeling environmental activists extremists, mark a worrying departure for a liberal democracy.

“Legitimate protest is part of what makes any country a safe and civilized place to live,” said Jonathon Porritt, an ecologist and former director of Friends of the Earth, who joined a vigil outside London’s Central Criminal Court to protest the treatment of demonstrators.

Anti-Brexit protesters sing to music standing on a traffic island across the street from the Houses of Parliament, in London, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Police arrests protesters of the climate campaigners group Just Stop Oil in London, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
“The government has made its intent very clear, which is basically to suppress what is legitimate, lawful protest and to use every conceivable mechanism at their disposal to do that.”

A PATCHWORK DEMOCRACY​

Britain is one of the world’s oldest democracies, home of the Magna Carta, a centuries-old Parliament and an independent judiciary. That democratic system is underpinned by an “unwritten constitution” — a set of laws, rules, conventions and judicial decisions accumulated over hundreds of years.

The effect of that patchwork is “we rely on self-restraint by governments,” said Andrew Blick, author of “Democratic Turbulence in the United Kingdom” and a political scientist at King’s College London. “You hope the people in power are going to behave themselves.”
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This will likely be post-Trump reelection where he has promised to use the military to quash descent.

 

[Ishm]

This is the British Tories. The equivalent of the GOP. It is exactly the sort of thing that Trump clearly wants to do, but the Trump version will make the British version seem very tame. The first thing that any aspiring dictator needs to do is get control of how dissenting opinions are spread through society. I fully expect Trump, if elected) to have a very early focus on protest actions (like the UK) and media rights.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Ok but like if you ever want to understand just how good some of our constitutional protections actually are just look at the U.K.

 

[Craig234]

Ok but like if you ever want to understand just how good some of our constitutional protections actually are just look at the U.K.

To clarify - the UK doesn't have a constitution, we do, which is an advantage - but ours relies on judges, while we have a massive, billions of dollar project to groom radical ideologues to be the judges, and that's a threat.

 

[Craig234]

Argentina just elected a radical right-wing president, and he's already banned protests. trump of course wanted to use the US military to shoot protesters. Israel-wth's radical right-wing government DID use the military to shoot protesters.

 

[PoS]

Argentina just elected a radical right-wing president, and he's already banned protests. trump of course wanted to use the US military to shoot protesters. Israel-wth's radical right-wing government DID use the military to shoot protesters.

Milei isnt right wing, hes libertarian, and he has a good chance of finally fixing the mess that is Argentina, provided he sticks to his guns.

 

[Roadvirus]

The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracy

Britain is one of the world’s oldest democracies, but some worry that essential rights and freedoms are under threat.

apnews.com

LONDON (AP) — For hanging a banner reading “Just Stop Oil” off a bridge, an engineer got a three-year prison sentence. Just for walking slowly down the street, scores of people have been arrested.

For holding a sign outside a courthouse reminding jurors of their right to acquit defendants, a retiree faces up to two years in prison.

They are among hundreds of environmental activists arrested for peaceful demonstrations in the U.K., where tough new laws restrict the right to protest.

The Conservative government says the laws prevent extremist activists from hurting the economy and disrupting daily life. Critics say civil rights are being eroded without enough scrutiny from lawmakers or protection by the courts. They say the sweeping arrests of peaceful demonstrators, along with government officials labeling environmental activists extremists, mark a worrying departure for a liberal democracy.

“Legitimate protest is part of what makes any country a safe and civilized place to live,” said Jonathon Porritt, an ecologist and former director of Friends of the Earth, who joined a vigil outside London’s Central Criminal Court to protest the treatment of demonstrators.

Anti-Brexit protesters sing to music standing on a traffic island across the street from the Houses of Parliament, in London, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Police arrests protesters of the climate campaigners group Just Stop Oil in London, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
“The government has made its intent very clear, which is basically to suppress what is legitimate, lawful protest and to use every conceivable mechanism at their disposal to do that.”

A PATCHWORK DEMOCRACY​

Britain is one of the world’s oldest democracies, home of the Magna Carta, a centuries-old Parliament and an independent judiciary. That democratic system is underpinned by an “unwritten constitution” — a set of laws, rules, conventions and judicial decisions accumulated over hundreds of years.

The effect of that patchwork is “we rely on self-restraint by governments,” said Andrew Blick, author of “Democratic Turbulence in the United Kingdom” and a political scientist at King’s College London. “You hope the people in power are going to behave themselves.”
====================================================
This will likely be post-Trump reelection where he has promised to use the military to quash descent.

The right to protest has already been crapped on in the UK, what with the "protest bubble" they have around baby killer clinics.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Unsure why anyone is surprised by this, Britain has been sliding into the realm of authoritarianism for years now. This is old data but almost 4000 people in Britain have been detained and questioned over social media posts. Many of those were music lyrics that offended someone, and no reason to suspect those numbers are better today. Almost 1000 people in Britain just this year alone have been detained, questioned, with many arrested for protests against the court rulings, oil, war, whatever else and not all of them were soup throwers or morons supergluing themselves to the street. Cameras on every corner and police running around detaining just about anyone they want. Expression, protest, assembly, basic speech are all under attack in Britain. And before you chalk this up to conservatism, turns out several parties over there are all for limits not for themselves but for the people.

Britain is no longer, perhaps never was, some pillar of Democracy, nor freedoms, nor even tolerance of really anyone in the political crosshairs for whatever reason.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Milei isnt right wing, hes libertarian, and he has a good chance of finally fixing the mess that is Argentina, provided he sticks to his guns.

Ahh yes, the classic libertarian move of increasing the powers of the police and banning face coverings of protesters so they can be identified by the state as soon as you get into office.

The only liberties people like Milei are interested in protecting are those of business owners and their wealthy investors.

 

[JacksinPA]

To clarify - the UK doesn't have a constitution, we do, which is an advantage - but ours relies on judges, while we have a massive, billions of dollar project to groom radical ideologues to be the judges, and that's a threat.

Adolph Trump has stated that he will scrap the Constitution. That ends Due Process & rings in authoritarianism. If you think concentration camps were unique to Nazi Germany, guess again. He's promised to go after the press & anytone who has investigated him. And he will use our military as his own SA - uniformed storm troopers to do his bidding.

 

[Peter]

This is the British Tories. The equivalent of the GOP. It is exactly the sort of thing that Trump clearly wants to do, but the Trump version will make the British version seem very tame. The first thing that any aspiring dictator needs to do is get control of how dissenting opinions are spread through society. I fully expect Trump, if elected) to have a very early focus on protest actions (like the UK) and media rights.

While I hate the UK conservatives they aren't like the Republicans.
Most republican ideas wouldn't get any votes in the UK as we are nowhere near as right wing as a country.

 

[JacksinPA]

Unite the Right rally - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Unite the Right rally​

The Unite the Right rally was a white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, from August 11–12, 2017. Marchers included members of the alt-right, neo-Confederates, neo-fascists,white nationalists, neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and far-right militias. Some groups chanted racist and antisemitic slogans and carried weapons, Nazi and neo-Nazi symbols, the Valknut, Confederate battle flags, Deus vult crosses, flags, and other symbols of various past and present antisemitic and anti-Islamic groups. The organizers' stated goals included the unification of the American white nationalist movement[12] and opposing the proposed removal of the statue of General Robert E. Lee from Charlottesville's former Lee Park. The rally sparked a national debate over Confederate iconography, racial violence, and white supremacy.
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These were Adolph Trump's people, all dressed in the same uniform colors & carrying torches, reminiscent of Nazi rallies in the 1930s. These are the people who will vote for Trump. Many may wind up in positions of power within the government as they demonstrated their allegiance & loyalty to Trump.

Trump:

Trump said 'blame on both sides' in Charlottesville, now the anniversary puts him on the spot​

Trump said 'blame on both sides' in Charlottesville, now the anniversary puts him on the spot

Trump's comments on Charlottesville in 2017 were a low point in his presidency.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Peter]

There are loads of mass protests in london that are attended by the police and pass by without incident.

 

[PoS]

Ahh yes, the classic libertarian move of increasing the powers of the police and banning face coverings of protesters so they can be identified by the state as soon as you get into office.

The only liberties people like Milei are interested in protecting are those of business owners and their wealthy investors.

Thanks for proving you know nothing about libertarianism. In other news, water is wet.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Thanks for proving you know nothing about libertarianism. In other news, water is wet.

Hey, that’s what he actually did. I never said it was libertarian to do so. Just that he’s a massive hypocrite and liar.

 

[PoS]

Hey, that’s what he actually did. I never said it was libertarian to do so. Just that he’s a massive hypocrite and liar.

You claimed it was the "classic libertarian thing" to do. Thats a falsehood.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

You claimed it was the "classic libertarian thing" to do. Thats a falsehood.

Meant it a bit facetiously in the sense that that’s what far right libertarians have done every time they’ve gotten into power. Not in the sense that it was a principled expression of libertarian ideology.

 

[PoS]

Meant it a bit facetiously in the sense that that’s what far right libertarians have done every time they’ve gotten into power. Not in the sense that it was a principled expression of libertarian ideology.

Libertarians have never been in power before. Milei might be the first, assuming he sticks to his word.