https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/0b9e3f85-aaf9-4ddf-877f-d49eb1c72c9b The UK government is enacting an unprecedented crackdown on protest. Since October 2023, pro-Palestinian activists have faced police raids, increased surveillance and pre-emptive arrests. In July, the government went further, banning the direct-action group Palestine Action and making public support for it a terrorism offence. Additional protest restrictions were announced after a deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled the government may go beyond the measures already outlined, including giving police powers to target specific chants at demonstrations. Amid this crackdown, a group of Jewish activists are taking a stand. Many are over 50; one is a retired army colonel; several are descendants of Holocaust survivors. They are now risking arrest for holding signs in Parliament Square that read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”. Middle East Eye spoke to these activists as they challenge the ban and resist what they see as a wider attack on the right to protest. Far from fitting the profile of terrorism suspects, their backgrounds are what compel them to put themselves on the frontline. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:25:20 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/0b9e3f85-aaf9-4ddf-877f-d49eb1c72c9b All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.