The government is happy to ‘cancel’ dissent when it comes from the left

Robin Simcox, the commissioner for countering extremism at the Home Office, has argued that London has become a "no-go zone for Jews" during weekends when marches demanding a ceasefire in Gaza are being held. This ignores the fact that literally thousands of Jewish people are part of those marches, and they have been from the very beginning of the current conflict.

Just recently, 400,000 peacefully marched through central London demanding a ceasefire. In my opinion, it’s clear Simcox has his own political agenda when he attacks peaceful demonstrations.

After all, Rishi Sunak made a speech that argued that “extremists” who did not share British “values” were a danger to its democracy. To me, it appeared Sunak was criticising the peace movement for Gaza, although the picture he painted bears no relation to reality.

Simcox has since written in support of Sunak’s speech, arguing against “extremist disruption” where none exists and, in a seemingly clear example of fearmongering, has called for more draconian “policies to meet the scale of the challenge”.

Simcox’s contribution to an increasing erosion of civil liberties comes as Michael Gove prepares to redefine what constitutes “extremism” to bar groups the Tory party disagrees with. Those like Just Stop Oil and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign may be barred from hiring venues for meetings and from operating on campuses. A government that has previously raged against "no-platforming" and "cancel culture" is happy to cancel dissent when it comes from the left.

The Tories are in the process of defining all who do not share their reactionary ideology as “extremists”. And when characters like the notoriously anti-migrant ex-home secretary Priti Patel opposes Gove’s plan, it shows just how dangerous his proposals are.

It is vital that those who are against the genocide in Gaza continue to hold the march on the streets – not just to save the people of Palestine, but to defend basic liberties in the UK from hard-right policies.

Sasha Simic

London

It would seem that the government has been taking lessons from Vladimir Putin on how to deal with demonstrations.

Our country is no stranger to controversial protests. The Blackshirts were allowed to march in the 1930s, the National Front was allowed to march in the Eighties, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament marched across the Fifties and Sixties, and the anti-war marches against Tony Blair’s involvement in Iraq all allowed people to express their feelings, both good and bad.

Despite how divisive a cause may be, the right to protest is a freedom we are entitled to in this country, and that can’t change.

Just because the government disagrees with, or is intimidated by, what a protest stands for, there is no justification for changing the law to make public protesting harder.

I am over 80, so would likely be one of the demographics that this government thinks it is aiming its policies at – they couldn’t be further from the truth.

Bob Sampson

West Sussex

Alan Rusbridger is right that we all need to be inoculated against the epidemic of fake news. This could not be truer than in the case of vaccine misinformation. This still poses a major menace to global public health that could reverse decades of progress toward the elimination of preventable, debilitating and life-threatening diseases.

Just think of a world without vaccines where deadly diseases such as measles, rubella, polio, chickenpox, and influenza are prevalent.

Governments, public health authorities and civil society organisations all have a responsibility to ensure that people have access to reliable and accurate facts about vaccines and health.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

The Independent recently covered the distress of elderly patients who are “treated like animals” and left begging for care as NHS staff struggle with overwhelmed wards.

It is now long overdue for parliament to finally put into law the option of assisted dying for those who wish to end their lives with free will.

Death, for all of us, is inevitable, however much we wish this to the otherwise. Why add to the suffering?

Gunter Straub

London

With the Republican nomination firmly in hand, former president Donald Trump has focused his attention on more important matters. Recently, on his Truth Social platform, Trump addressed the issue most on his mind.

Was it the war in Ukraine? Or the Hamas-Israeli war? Perhaps the US economy? Not quite.

Quoting Trump, "Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars… get rid of Kimmel” (Emphases are Mr Trump’s…)

We’re not looking for a TV critic, Mr Trump. We’re looking for a focused, competent leader to protect us. And you’re just not it.

Mike Barrett

Virginia