The Pakistani-origin British MP and Home Secretary had announced that the police would be given powers to deal with pro-Palestinian protesters
Staff Reporter, Daily Dawn, Dawn TV Report
London: Pakistani-origin British MP and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that she was going to give the police powers to deal with the protesters, in response to the growing pro-Palestinian protests across the UK, for which she is facing severe criticism.
Shabana Mahmood said that the repeated large protests in favor of Palestine have created an “atmosphere of fear” in the Jewish community, so the British police will be given more powers to limit the protests.
She said that the government’s move came after the attack on a synagogue in the northwestern city of Manchester last week.
In a video statement released on her X account, she said, “The purpose of the legislation I am going to introduce is to enable the police to impose conditions and restrictions on demonstrations.”
She added that she would make it clear that if repeated demonstrations in a particular place cause disruption or unrest, this could be a reason for the police to limit or condition them.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), she said that this move is not about banning demonstrations but about restrictions and conditions (changing the location or time of the protest).
When asked if this move on the right to protest would not be dangerous? To which the Home Secretary said, “I don’t think it is insulting if we ask people to show some humanity to a community that has suffered a tragedy. Just because you have freedom, it doesn’t mean you have to use it all the time.”
The move has sparked strong reactions from political leaders, human rights groups and public figures across the UK.
MP Zara Sultan wrote on X that the Home Secretary aims to ban pro-Palestinian protests.
She said that Shabana Mahmood is not only imprisoning elders and priests who are opposing the ban on Palestinian action, but is also violating civil liberties and the right to protest.
Zara Sultan added that Shabana Mahmood is violating our civil liberties and the right to protest, while also supporting the supply of weapons to a racist and aggressive state like Israel.
UK Green Party leader Zac Polanski told Sky News that Shabana Mahmood is “grossly irresponsible” for linking the anti-Gaza protests to the Manchester synagogue attack.
“Peaceful and democratic protest is the foundation of our democracy, and it is worrying that governments are trying to suppress dissent and are using a brutal attack as a pretext to target demonstrations where people are speaking out against genocide,” he said.
British actor and comedian Taz Elias shared a 2014 photo of Shabana Mahmood holding a protest banner at a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
He captioned the photo, “Shabana Mahmood, when she had no access to the halls of power.”
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