Attacks on free speech by the British state are continuing with a report from Republic that the Metropolitan police took down a republican banner during a protest against monarchy in London, while doing nothing to stop expressions of support for the feudal institution.
Republic alsosay that “Met Police had attempted to suppress Republic’s protest, putting conditions on the demonstration and claiming the possibility of ‘damage to public property’.”
That was followed by a High Court ruling that the proscription of Palestine Action by the state is lawful. That means that citizens exercising their right of free speech by expressing verbal approval of Palestine Action can be arrested, falsely branded as terrorists and possibly locked up in prison for years. On the other hand public expression of support for killing people and destroying property is allowed without restraint when the crimes are committed by the state.
The British state’s attempts to suppress speech it does not like is not always successful. A jury has acquitted three men accused of being members of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, which the British state calls a terrorist organisation.
According to Declassified UK the charges against the men “included a terrorism charge for one man speaking at an event to commemorate his relative who was killed in combat with Turkey—and another for organising an evening of traditional Kurdish dancing”.
Parliament is set to abolish the right of trial by jury when the maximum sentence is less than three years.
The police force that suppressed free speech by democrats against the monarchy is led by a police commissioner who seems to be a devoted monarchist. At the time of the 2023 coronation of Charles Windsor as king he declared that he wanted a “perfect” crowning. To achieve perfection for the feudal event his officers confiscated rape alarms from women, claiming that they might be used to scare horses on the coronation parade. They also kidnapped republicans to stop them expressing support for democracy.
Read more about how the police put support for monarchy above the civil rights of citizens –
https://centreforcitizenship.org/wp/2023/05/17/the-day-it-became-illegal-to-own-a-rape-alarm/