Protests and strikes are two powerful weapons against the ruling class, which is why there have been efforts to suppress both; they must be defended together, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

The aggressive and intimidatory nature of the policing of the last Palestine demonstration in London, culminating in charges against leading figures in the Palestine movement, is a serious escalation in the attacks on the right to protest.

The last decade has seen an array of laws brought in to restrict the right to protest, most notably the new Public Order Act which has been used to place strict restrictions on almost every Palestine protest in the last year and a half, and which has been used to charge Chris Nineham and Ben Jamal.

The attack on the right to protest is not just an issue for the Palestine movement, however; it must also be an issue that the trade-union movement takes up. Laws restricting protest have been accompanied by anti-union laws over several decades, including the Trade Union Act in 2016.

This is no coincidence. The two biggest challenges to the ruling class in recent times have been the Palestine movement and the strike wave of 2022-23. Together these represented opposition to the main effects of the neoliberal status quo: falling living standards and stagnant pay at home, and war and imperialism abroad.

It is therefore unsurprising that the establishment has tried to restrict the right to protest and the right to strike. Both the Palestine movement and the strike wave have proved popular amongst the general public. They resonate with most people’s feelings that workers like nurses and teachers deserve fair pay and recognition of their valuable work, and that innocent people should not be killed and displaced en masse from their homes. On both occasions, the government has been left isolated and out of touch with public opinion.

It is vital that trade unionists form the biggest opposition possible to this attack on the right to protest. Stop the War have produced a model motion found here which can be put forward in branch meetings. It is also vital that the workplace day of action on 13 February and the national demonstration on 15 February are as big as possible. Those in London can also co-ordinate their action on 13 February with attending the protest outside Chris Nineham’s court hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court.