Britain's human rights watchdog has warned against the 'heavy-handed policing' of Palestine protests amid fears it could have a 'chilling' effect on free speech.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to remind them that the 'right to protest is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy'.
The letter, from EHRC chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner, said the notion that a peaceful demonstration could attract disproportionate police attention 'undermines confidence in our human rights protections'.
Baroness Falkner said any interference with protest rights 'must be lawful and assessed case-by-case'.
She added: 'Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences.
