Quick summary
• The UK government’s crackdown on climate protests undermines democratic rights and sets a dangerous global precedent, says Human Rights Watch (HRW).
• Labor has defended anti-protest laws introduced by Conservatives, despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s background as a human rights lawyer.
• Expanded police powers under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and Public Order Act 2023 criminalize protest tactics, increase penalties, and restrict freedom of assembly.
• In 2024, 34 activists were jailed, with some receiving the longest-ever sentences for non-violent protests, such as Just Stop Oil members sentenced to 4-5 years.
• HRW and the UN have criticized these laws for eroding free speech, peaceful assembly, and democratic norms.
• The Labor government appealed a High Court ruling that deemed some anti-protest measures unlawful, doubling down on restrictions.
• HRW argues that the UK’s stance damages its global credibility while calling for repeal of the laws to protect democratic freedoms.
The United Kingdom’s recent crackdown on climate protesters, enabled by sweeping legislative changes, is undermining democratic rights and setting a troubling example for other nations, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director of HRW, criticized the measures as an affront to fundamental freedoms and a dangerous precedent for global democracy.
In its World Report 2025, HRW highlighted an alarming global trend of shrinking civic space, with the UK among the countries taking significant steps to curtail peaceful protest. Ahmed condemned the government’s actions, stating, “Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of a healthy and functioning democracy.” She further criticized the Labor government’s decision to defend anti-protest legislation introduced by its Conservative predecessors, calling it “dangerous hypocrisy.”
The report underscores the importance of safeguarding democratic rights, emphasizing that “laws criminalizing protests undermine democratic rights” and warning of the ripple effects of these measures globally.
Two major pieces of legislation, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023, have drastically expanded police powers to restrict protests. Ahmed outlined several concerning provisions, stating, “They have introduced laws which mean that the circumstances where the police can interfere and stop protesters are now much more expansive than they were.”
Key changes include:
• Lowering thresholds for what constitutes “serious disruption.”
• Introducing noise level thresholds for protests.
• Allowing preemptive orders to prevent individuals from associating with activists, even online.
• Increasing penalties for certain offenses from fines to potential imprisonment.
These measures have had a chilling effect on climate activism, with fewer people willing to risk severe legal consequences.
The crackdown has been particularly severe for climate protesters. In 2024 alone, 34 activists were jailed, according to Tim Crosland, co-founder of Defend Our Juries. Among them were five members of Just Stop Oil, who received unprecedented prison sentences of four and five years for “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance” after discussing a protest on the M25 motorway during a video call.
Ahmed emphasized the gravity of these actions: “So what you now have is laws which essentially mean that the thresholds of when protests can be stopped and interfered with are now much lower.”
The sentences came shortly after the Labor government’s election, disappointing those who had hoped for a reversal of the previous administration’s policies. “Many of us had hoped that an incoming Labor government would have repealed the undemocratic anti-protest legislation introduced under the previous administration,” Ahmed said, “especially given Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s background as a human rights lawyer.”
HRW’s report framed these developments within a broader context of democratic erosion in the UK, which it described as “more than a decade of backsliding on human rights.” The organization also flagged additional concerns, including hate speech, xenophobia, the cost-of-living crisis, and unresolved issues of racial discrimination.
Despite these challenges, the Labor government has doubled down on restrictive measures, even appealing a High Court decision that deemed parts of the Public Order Act 2023 unlawful. Ahmed described this move as “setting a very dangerous precedent.”
The UK’s crackdown on protests has drawn criticism from international observers, including Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who labeled the Public Order Act 2023 as “deeply troubling legislation.”
Ahmed questioned the UK’s credibility on the global stage: “How can the UK expect to be taken seriously when criticizing crackdowns in Moscow, Beijing, or Tehran, while spending thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money to clamp down on peaceful protests at home, including on climate protesters?”
HRW’s report further highlighted the contradiction between the UK’s domestic policies and its international commitments to human rights and environmental advocacy. “It’s setting a very dangerous precedent that a country like the United Kingdom, [which is] speaking about the right to protest internationally, [which is] committed to human rights and international law, and has placed the environment as a central pillar… is willing to defend these laws,” Ahmed said.
HRW’s findings underscore the urgent need for the UK government to reconsider its stance on protest rights. “We live in incredibly uncertain times and now, more than ever, we need leaders who are going to stand up for the rule of law and our rights and freedoms,” Ahmed urged.
The organization has called on the Labor government to repeal the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023, restoring the democratic rights of citizens to engage in peaceful protest.
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