Starmer’s proposed protest bans would ‘strike at the root of free assembly and free speech,’ campaigners say
People take part in a Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally in Lewisham, south-east London, May 2, 2026CAMPAIGNERS have hit back at Sir Keir Starmer’s latest threats to ban some pro-Palestine marches, saying restrictions would “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech.”
The Prime Minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today on Saturday “there are instances” in which he supports a moratorium on peace demonstrations.
“I think it’s time to look across the board at protests and the cumulative effect,” he said. “I think it’s time for, I would say, some people protesting to just reflect on what the Jewish community is going through and the overall impact that this is having.”
Stop the War coalition co-founder John Rees said the PM’s comments were a “threat” to the massive marches the coalition has helped organise since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
A ban would “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech in this country,” he told Sky News.
He also warned the PM against “completely fallacious” conflations of pro-Palestine demonstrations and attacks on Jewish people, such as last week’s knife attack in Golders Green.
Mr Rees said of the man charged with three counts of attempted murder after last Wednesday’s north London stabbing: “These kinds of individuals are not attached to the Palestine movement.
“They are not attached to the marches. There’s no evidence that they’ve ever seen a march, let alone been on one, or that the organisers would for a second condone it.
“We have to be absolutely clear here, there is no threat whatsoever to the Jewish community from these marches.
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