In response to a new wave of anti-Israeli rallies in various cities, the British Prime Minister called for increased police powers and stricter restrictions, emphasizing that current laws are not enough to deal with “provocative” slogans.
Publish dateWednesday 8 October 2025 - 16:23
Story Code : 331002
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Keir Starmer, in an interview with domestic media, supported the Home Office’s plan to review laws related to public gatherings, saying: “We need to go beyond the current restrictions, especially regarding the slogans that are heard in some of these demonstrations.” He added, noting that operational decisions have been left to the police, “The government can review what powers it has and whether it is necessary to change or strengthen them to maintain public safety.”
Starmer said he had asked the Home Secretary to review existing powers “more broadly” to see which parts of the law could be used to more effectively control gatherings. He claimed that some of the slogans raised at recent demonstrations, including the slogan “Long live the intifada,” were inflammatory in nature and should be subject to stricter restrictions.
Starmer’s comments came after Shaban Mahmood, the Home Secretary, announced new legislation to increase police powers to deal with repeated demonstrations. Under the plan, police would be able to decide whether to restrict or revoke permits for demonstrations based on the impact of repeated similar gatherings over a specified period of time. The proposal has been met with a strong reaction from civil society groups, particularly in relation to the weekly pro-Palestinian marches that have been taking place since the start of the Gaza war.
Human rights groups have warned that such an approach could “severely restrict the space for freedom of expression and assembly in the UK,” they say, adding that the government is trying to justify a wider crackdown by politically labeling peaceful protests.
Critics within the ruling Labour Party also believe that the British Prime Minister’s recent stances on Palestinian demonstrations are an attempt to appease right-wing media outlets and political pressure from pro-Israel circles. Sky News reported that Starmer had reached an agreement on implementing “tougher policing frameworks” after a secret meeting with the Home Secretary and London police officials.
The Prime Minister’s Office’s official spokesman claimed that the government was “committed to freedom of expression” but would not tolerate slogans that could be considered “hate speech or a threat to national security.” According to him, the Prime Minister has asked the Home Secretary to prepare a set of legal reforms for approval in Parliament in the coming weeks.
These developments are taking place while large-scale demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people have been held almost every week in London, Manchester, Liverpool and other British cities since the start of the Gaza war. In its latest report, the London police announced that more than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with protests related to the Gaza war in the past six months alone; a figure that, according to human rights organizations, reflects an unprecedented increase in security clashes with political protests in recent years.
Despite these pressures, student movements, anti-war groups and human rights organizations have announced that they will continue their protests. In separate statements, they have emphasized that the government's policies in limiting demonstrations are a response to increasing public awareness of the Zionist regime's crimes in Gaza and that British civil society will not back down from demanding justice for Palestine.
While the Starmer government emphasizes the need to implement stricter laws, political observers warn that continuing this trend could deepen the gap between the government and civil society in Britain; a gap that is becoming more apparent every day in the shadow of the West's moral crisis over the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Starmer said he had asked the Home Secretary to review existing powers “more broadly” to see which parts of the law could be used to more effectively control gatherings. He claimed that some of the slogans raised at recent demonstrations, including the slogan “Long live the intifada,” were inflammatory in nature and should be subject to stricter restrictions.
Starmer’s comments came after Shaban Mahmood, the Home Secretary, announced new legislation to increase police powers to deal with repeated demonstrations. Under the plan, police would be able to decide whether to restrict or revoke permits for demonstrations based on the impact of repeated similar gatherings over a specified period of time. The proposal has been met with a strong reaction from civil society groups, particularly in relation to the weekly pro-Palestinian marches that have been taking place since the start of the Gaza war.
Human rights groups have warned that such an approach could “severely restrict the space for freedom of expression and assembly in the UK,” they say, adding that the government is trying to justify a wider crackdown by politically labeling peaceful protests.
Critics within the ruling Labour Party also believe that the British Prime Minister’s recent stances on Palestinian demonstrations are an attempt to appease right-wing media outlets and political pressure from pro-Israel circles. Sky News reported that Starmer had reached an agreement on implementing “tougher policing frameworks” after a secret meeting with the Home Secretary and London police officials.
The Prime Minister’s Office’s official spokesman claimed that the government was “committed to freedom of expression” but would not tolerate slogans that could be considered “hate speech or a threat to national security.” According to him, the Prime Minister has asked the Home Secretary to prepare a set of legal reforms for approval in Parliament in the coming weeks.
These developments are taking place while large-scale demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people have been held almost every week in London, Manchester, Liverpool and other British cities since the start of the Gaza war. In its latest report, the London police announced that more than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with protests related to the Gaza war in the past six months alone; a figure that, according to human rights organizations, reflects an unprecedented increase in security clashes with political protests in recent years.
Despite these pressures, student movements, anti-war groups and human rights organizations have announced that they will continue their protests. In separate statements, they have emphasized that the government's policies in limiting demonstrations are a response to increasing public awareness of the Zionist regime's crimes in Gaza and that British civil society will not back down from demanding justice for Palestine.
While the Starmer government emphasizes the need to implement stricter laws, political observers warn that continuing this trend could deepen the gap between the government and civil society in Britain; a gap that is becoming more apparent every day in the shadow of the West's moral crisis over the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
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