British authorities announced new measures Sunday to strengthen police powers over recurring protests, following months of mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the arrest of nearly 500 people at a rally supporting a banned extremist group.

The Home Office said police forces will now be able to consider the “cumulative impact of frequent protests” when imposing restrictions on marches and gatherings — a move officials say is aimed at protecting public safety and vulnerable communities.

“The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. “However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of others to live their lives without fear. Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes.”

Pro-Palestinian marches have become a fixture in British cities since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken hostage.

While most demonstrations have remained peaceful, Jewish organizations and security officials say the rallies have often served as cover for antisemitic rhetoric and intimidation. Chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — widely viewed by Jews as a call to eliminate Israel — have drawn particular concern.

Authorities have arrested several protesters for expressing support for Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organization in the U.K.

Calls for restraint grew louder this weekend after two Jewish men were murdered in a Yom Kippur attack on a shul in Manchester. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged protest organizers to postpone demonstrations out of respect for Britain’s grieving Jewish community.

Nevertheless, about 1,000 activists gathered in Trafalgar Square on Saturday to protest the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action, a direct-action group accused of vandalizing British military aircraft and targeting companies linked to Israel’s defense sector. The group was recently designated a terrorist organization, making public support for it a criminal offense.

Police made 488 arrests at the rally, most for expressing support for the banned group.

Civil liberties groups criticized the crackdown, accusing the government of restricting free speech. But officials and community leaders counter that protecting the Jewish community from hate and intimidation must take precedence.

Since the ban on Palestine Action in July, more than 2,000 people have been detained at related protests, with over 130 facing terrorism charges.

Hundreds of people waving Israeli and British flags rallied in London and Manchester on Sunday to commemorate the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ massacre and to demand the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.

The gatherings came as Home Secretary Mahmood warned of a “rising tide of antisemitism” and other forms of hatred “running amok across our country.”

“There are clearly malign and dark forces at work,” she said, pledging continued vigilance to protect all British communities.

Police also reported a suspected arson attack on a mosque in Peacehaven, which they are treating as a hate crime. No injuries were reported.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)