LONDON, 26 Feb. - (ANA) - A legal rights organisation has documented almost 1,000 incidents in which pro-Palestine voices were targeted in the UK, describing the pattern as a broad crackdown on the solidarity movement.

 

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) says it verified 964 cases of "anti-Palestinian repression" between January 2019 and August 2025, including cases of student investigations, arrests of activists, workplace disciplinary action and the cancellation of cultural events.

 

The findings, compiled with researchers from Forensic Architecture, form an online 'Index of Repression', a publicly accessible database tracking reported incidents across sectors.

 

"We're launching this database to show that repression of the Palestine solidarity movement in Britain is pervasive," said Amira Abdelhamid, ELSC's director of research and monitoring, during the launch on Wednesday.

 

Among the cases cited is that of a University of Warwick student who was reported to police in November 2023 after holding a sign at a campus rally comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.

 

The student was arrested on suspicion of racial aggravation and investigated by the university, but police later withdrew the caution and deleted related records, and the university confirmed no disciplinary action would follow.

 

The database also documents the dismissal of a football club employee over social media posts about Israel's genocide in Gaza, as well as the case of University of Manchester student Dana Abuqamar. Her visa was revoked after she told Sky News she felt "pride" in Palestinian resistance following years of blockade, remarks she later clarified did not support the 7 October attacks. She subsequently won a human rights appeal.

 

ELSC said pro-Israel advocacy groups, journalists and media outlets were involved in 138 of the recorded incidents. It named the controversial UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) as playing a role in 128 cases.

 

The organisation said the pattern had reflected a coordinated effort to frame Palestine solidarity as a security issue rather than a political stance. It says the alleged targeting spans universities, workplaces, cultural institutions and public protests.

 

The report comes amid continued mass demonstrations across the UK since Israel's genocide in Gaza began in October 2023, with tens of thousands joining regular marches in support of Palestine.

 

Rights groups have accused the UK government of disproportionately policing pro-Palestine protests.

 

Human Rights Watch said in January that climate and Palestine activists had faced "disproportionate targeting", undermining the right to protest freely.

 

The UK government has previously rejected claims that it is suppressing lawful protest, saying policing decisions are made independently and that action is taken only when laws are broken.

 

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport declined to comment on the report's findings on repression of pro-Palestine voices and critics of the Israeli occupation of Palestine in universities, schools and the sports sector.

 

In a statement to The New Arab, a department spokesperson said it would be "inappropriate for the department to comment in this case".  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/26 February 2026 - - -