Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has signalled that the government could crack down on chants used at pro-Palestine protests, following demonstrations on the second anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel. Speaking during a trade mission to India, Starmer said he had asked Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to review protest laws and consider further powers to address specific chants.
The protests, which took place at universities in London, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and elsewhere, included the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Some view this slogan as antisemitic, interpreting it as a call for the eradication of Israel, while proponents say it calls for an end to conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.
Starmer's intervention came less than a week after a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, where two men were killed on Yom Kippur. The Prime Minister had previously described the timing of the protests as “un-British,” a stance echoed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.
Home Secretary Mahmood announced over the weekend that police would be given greater powers to restrict protests by considering the “cumulative impact” of repeated demonstrations. She will also review existing legislation to ensure powers are sufficient and applied consistently, including the ability to ban protests outright.
Critics, including the protest group Defend Our Juries, have condemned the planned crackdown as an authoritarian move against free speech. A spokesperson said the government was “doubling down on an anti-democratic agenda” and accused Starmer of devaluing Palestinian lives.
