How UK campaigners are responding to tougher protest restrictions

Why this matters

Recent legislation has handed police broader powers over protest, introduced new offences and harsher sentences, and seen peaceful campaign groups proscribed under terrorism law. Much of the debate has focused on the laws themselves; far less is known about how they are experienced by the people who organise and take part in protest. This report, produced with Fossil Free London, asks campaigners directly how restrictions are shaping their willingness and ability to act.

What we found

Protest rights are almost universally seen as under threat by this sample of campaigners. Yet repression has not stopped protest – participation has held up and in many cases grown, driven by Gaza, anti-far-right mobilisation and anger at the repression itself. What has changed is how people protest. The evidence points to a selective chilling effect: many have shifted towards lower-risk activities such as petitions, boycotts, donations and lobbying, and respondents describe avoiding direct action, arrestable tactics and open support for Palestine Action.

The chilling effect falls unevenly. The more barriers someone faces, the less they protest. Risk tolerance is highest among the oldest campaigners – over-65s are the engine of participation growth – while 35–44 year olds, more likely to face employment and childcare pressures, are the only age group in overall decline. Under-45s are the most fearful of legal consequences, surveillance and violence at protest. Lapsed protesters keep their sympathy for the cause but lose their defiance: 64% say they support the right to protest but do not feel able or motivated to act. Belief that protest works was the weakest motivation we measured (59%), and feelings of fear and futility compound each other.

What it means for the movement

The report sets out six messages for organisers, campaigners and funders:

• Treat legal uncertainty as an organising issue. Uncertainty about legality deters 71% of potential activists. Expanding Know Your Rights training, pre-action legal Q&As and visible legal observers – especially for younger protesters – can help.
• Build roles across the risk spectrum. People who have been ‘chilled’ don’t disappear. Groups that offer meaningful lower-risk roles (court support, logistics, outreach, digital, fundraising) and value those doing them are more likely to retain them.
• Don’t build strategies assuming young people will carry the risk. Risk tolerance is concentrated among retirees. Conversations about who takes up that baton, and about safeguarding younger members’ careers and immigration status, are increasingly important.
• Support the risk-bearers. Court solidarity, hardship funds, mental health support and practical help for dependents of anyone arrested are crucial.
• Fight feelings of futility as much as fear. Communicating concrete protest wins and a credible theory of change can counter the chilling effect.
• Plan for accessibility and threats from third parties. 76% of disabled respondents say accessibility affects their willingness to attend, and several respondents fear far-right “auditors” and doxxing more than police.

About the survey

This was, by design, a self-selecting sample of 415 engaged campaigners – not UK activists in general, and not the public. Participants were recruited via an anonymous link shared through Social Change Lab and Fossil Free London’s newsletters and partner networks. Respondents skew older, more female and more likely to be disabled or hold caring responsibilities than the general population, and are most commonly involved in Palestine solidarity and climate campaigning.