More than 20 prominent UK trade union leaders have issued a powerful joint statement denouncing the arrest and prosecution of peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters, warning that such actions represent a serious threat to the fundamental right to protest.
The signatories—representing major unions including the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Unison, National Education Union (NEU), NASUWT, and RMT—expressed deep concern over the Metropolitan Police’s treatment of demonstrators at a London march held on 18 January 2024.
Union Leaders Call Charges an Attack on Civil Liberties
Among those arrested were former NEU executive member Alex Kenny, Sophie Bolt of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Ben Jamal of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Chris Nineham of the Stop the War Coalition. The joint statement calls for all charges against them to be dropped immediately.
“We believe these charges are an attack on our right to protest,” the union leaders declared. “The freedoms to organise, assemble and speak matter; we must defend them.”
The union chiefs noted Kenny’s long-standing history of peaceful activism, including his leadership role in the NEU’s national strike demonstration in March 2023 and many other London protests. They argue that prosecuting figures like Kenny and Bolt sends a dangerous message about criminalizing lawful dissent.
Policing of Protest Sparks Widespread Backlash
The arrests occurred during a peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London, which also saw heavy-handed police tactics such as kettling. Legal experts, human rights organisations, and lawmakers from across the political spectrum—including Amnesty International and Green Party Assembly Member Zoë Garbett—have condemned the Metropolitan Police’s actions.
Garbett reported that more than 150 individuals had contacted her with complaints of police aggression, including incidents involving children, pregnant women, and elderly demonstrators.
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell were also interviewed under caution regarding their participation in the same protest, although they were released pending further investigation.
Mounting Pressure for Legal Reform
The union leaders’ intervention follows widespread criticism of the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action and implement stricter protest laws under previous Conservative leadership. Critics argue the legislation is now being used to stifle legitimate protest.
A growing chorus of MPs and peers have since urged new Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to review protest-related legislation, warning that current measures are eroding democratic rights and criminalising peaceful assembly.
With increasing pressure from civil society, legal experts, and now trade unions, the debate over the right to protest in the UK is far from over.
