Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Donald Trump claims to champion “free speech” while cracking down on any and all dissent. He speaks of consequences for those with “improper ideologies.”
Student activists like Mahmoud Khalil face detention and deportation without trial, and universities that don’t suppress protests risk losing funding.
Whatever you think of the protestors or their causes, this is not what democracy looks like.
Keir Starmer, too, insists the UK “guards free speech preciously” – but actions speak louder than words.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pressed ahead with an appeal to defend anti-protest laws, allowing police to shut down demonstrations causing “more than minor disruption.” The Court of Appeals threw it out, siding with human rights group Liberty and ruling that the government unlawfully used Henry VIII powers to bypass Parliament.
It was a win for civil liberties, but the fact that it took a legal battle to stop an executive overreach speaks volumes.
The government is still playing fast and loose with our freedoms. And if this is how they behave now, what happens under a future Conservative – or Farage-led – government?
Protest isn’t a threat to democracy. It’s a warning signal that democracy isn’t working as it should. When governments ignore the people, protest becomes essential. A truly democratic government doesn’t silence dissent. It listens.
