We are experiencing a full-frontal attack on civil liberties, and restrictions on the right to protest, to organise, and to speak out and question foreign policy. Although this is particularly impacting upon Palestine solidarity campaigners, this attack is pernicious and far-reaching, and will affect everyone’s ability to speak out, to question and to challenge Government policy.
This attack is being carried out in the name of defending ‘British values’ and countering terrorism. The Government’s definition of ‘British values’, and the ideology that its counter-terrorism strategy is based upon, is deeply flawed, counterproductive, and runs directly counter to the values of tolerance, mutual respect and individual liberty that the Government is purporting to defend.
In June 2015, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) organised a meeting to collectively discuss how to defend those basic rights which are under attack. We brought together journalists, lawyers, academics, teachers, students, and campaigners from a range of organisations to begin a process of coalition-building in order to defend our basic rights.
This briefing aims to:
- gather together evidence of the attacks on our freedoms and rights;
- information on the wide and growing opposition to these attacks on our collective rights and freedoms,
- and help facilitate a response to the next wave of legislation by the Government, which includes the Extremism Bill, and the implementation of the Counter Terrorism and Security Bill, particularly on the impact of Prevent becoming a statutory duty.
Download the Right to campaign briefing now