I know enough about the erosion of civil rights to fear what I now see in the UK Lydia Gall is a senior Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch Right to protest is under attack in England and Wales, reports warn I saw, at first hand, the slow erosion of the rule of law in Hungary. It began not with a single shocking act but with quiet legal changes that narrowed space for dissent; each step justified as reasonable or necessary, until suddenly, democracy itself felt like a performance rather than a reality. Watching current developments in the UK, it’s impossible not to feel an uneasy sense of deja vu. Over the past few years, Britain has introduced a number of laws that have drastically curtailed the right to protest. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 grant police sweeping powers to restrict demonstrations, criminalise peaceful tactics and arrest people on vague grounds that they may have caused serious disruption or unease. Hundreds of arrests have followed, including for slow marching, linking arms, or carrying protest equipment. Many of those arrested have faced prosecution, with courts handing down fines, and in some cases, lengthy imprisonment for peaceful protest activities, reinforcing the chilling effect of these laws. Lydia Gall is a senior Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...