this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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The UK have no freedom of speech laws. Im also American so this is just what ive gathered from other people but apparently if you say anything in support of palestine or other topics you get arrested. Hopefully a brit chimes in.
We have 'freedom of expression' as outlined in the 1998 Human Rights Act. The HRA says that we are free to express ourselves as we see fit so long as it is within the confines of the law.
We have relatively strong hate speech laws as outlined in the 1986 Public Order Act, which makes it an offense to "[make] threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviours that causes, or is likely to cause, another person harassment, alarm or distress" and "language that encourages terrorism".
Recently a non-violent pro-Palestine, activist group (Palestine Action) was prescribed as a terrorist group, making it illegal to support any of their actions.
That's only freedom of expression for those who make the laws.
Yep
"[a law] says that we are free to express ourselves as we see fit so long as it is within the [...] law" looks like a tautology to me, is that phrasing accurate to the HRA?
It’s more that you can’t be arrested for shit that isn’t illegal simply because they don’t like you saying.
Sure they could make it illegal, but you’re at least given some time and warning.
This is very informative. I was worried, due to missing context, that it may be a consorted effort to destroy faith in their democratic protections. Say, from Russian cyber propaganda farms.
The UK government doesn't need Russia's help to destroy faith in democratic institutions.
When the equation changes from “UK > Russia”, to the other way around… let me know.
I don't know much about this activist group,
But the Wiki seems to provide information that would be counter to your 'non-violent' claim.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Action#Other_protests
Are these entries in the Wiki false?
Nope, but they don't describe any violence. Violence is harming PEOPLE, not damaging property.
If you think that daubing weapons of genocide with red paint is violence, let alone makes you a fucking TERRORIST, you really need to reexamine your values.
A fashion terrorist maybe.
They're not false, but they don't show the whole picture, as one paragraph seldom can.
If you are referring the action in Runcorn, of which they are said to have "stormed, scaled, and occupied" the premises of the military equipment manufacturer at 4.30am, I wouldn't say that counts as violence. I would say that violence is typically considered harm to a person or people, not windows and drones.
Did you even skim those entries?
Where is the violence? All those entries amount to vandilism and maybe criminal mischief.
To play the advocate of the devil: vandalism does meet the first definition of violence here: Behavior or treatment in which physical force is exerted for the purpose of causing damage or injury. (Emphasis mine) It does not need to target a person.
You can say stuff in support of Palestine just fine.
You can't be in support of abspecific group called Palestine Action because they've been designated a terrorist organisation. Whether that group warrants being defined as a terrorist group based on what they've done so far (obviously there could be intelligence that the public aren't privy to) is dubious.
Palestine Action’s biggest crime is that they were effective. Their actions forced the closure of two Israeli weapons factories and forced Barclay’s Bank to divest from the manufacturer (Elbit Systems). Direct action (sabotaging the means of production that support the genocide) fucking works.
Seems like the key is to literally just omit the word "action", and any symbols or logos that the group may use.
Fucking rules-lawyer their asses.
Or just support a different group that is calling for freedom for Palestine but hasn't broken into a military air base and vandalised some planes.
A lot of the people that have been arrested aren't protesting in for Palestine alone, they're protesting that that specific organisation shouldn't be considered terrorism and the overreach of the law that has been used. Their whole intention was to be arrested. That was the protest.
Um, people are doing just that and are not getting arrested.