Additionally, surveillance technology is increasingly deployed to unfairly restrict protests, often on discriminatory grounds.
“Our research paints a concerning picture of a Europe-wide assault on the right to protest. Peaceful demonstrations have historically been pivotal in securing many rights and freedoms we take for granted today. Yet, across Europe, laws and practices are threatening the right to peaceful assembly,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International.
Signs of Suppression in Finland
Finland is not immune to these troubling trends. The report highlights instances of stigmatizing language used against protests and protestors, disproportionate use of force by police, and restrictive practices, especially concerning climate protests and acts of civil disobedience. The Finnish law requiring protest organizers to be at least 15 years old has been identified as a barrier to children's rights to protest. However, the report notes positively that spontaneous protests are legally protected in Finland.
“Most protests in Finland proceed smoothly, with authorities ensuring their safety appropriately. While Finnish law largely aligns with international norms, it grants authorities considerable discretion, which could lead to more restrictive practices in line with European trends,” said Anu Tuukkanen, an expert from Amnesty’s Finnish section.
Criminalization and Suppression of Protests
States are failing to uphold their international obligations to protect peaceful assemblies and avoid unjustified interference. Despite all 21 countries in the report having ratified key human rights treaties protecting the right to assembly, many have not implemented these protections in national law.
In recent years, several governments have imposed broad restrictions on protests, often citing “national security” and “public order” as pretexts. Notably, solidarity protests for Palestinians have been banned and restricted on vague grounds, with police often enforcing these restrictions violently.
Even peaceful civil disobedience, protected under the right to assembly, faces increasingly harsh measures. Police have unjustifiably broken up protests involving civil disobedience, used disproportionate force, and detained protestors on unclear grounds, with some facing criminal charges and even imprisonment.
Stigmatizing Protestors
Authorities and politicians across Europe frequently use derogatory and stigmatizing rhetoric against protestors to justify tighter laws. This narrative is particularly used against Palestinian solidarity protests and increasingly portrays peaceful civil disobedience as a threat to public order or national security.
In Finland, politicians and other figures in power have used disparaging terms, especially regarding climate protestors and movements like Elokapina.
“The narrative that stigmatizes protestors is part of the broader suppression of assembly rights. Public discourse indicates that many do not understand that protesting is a fundamental human right and that protests are allowed to cause disruption. It is crucial for authorities and those in power to ensure accurate information about protests is shared,” Tuukkanen emphasized.
Excessive Use of Force
The report shows that police across Europe widely use excessive or unnecessary force against peaceful protestors, leading to serious injuries in several countries, including bone and dental fractures in France and Germany, severe head injuries in Spain, and loss of a hand in France. Disproportionate force has also been used against children in some instances. In Finland, police used pepper spray on Elokapina protestors in 2020, including at least one child.
Fear and Discrimination
Unjustified restrictions and suppression of protests instill fear and raise the barrier to participation. Authorities in many countries appear to discriminate based on the themes and organizers of protests, imposing restrictions on anti-racism demonstrations and protests organized by LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and asylum seekers, often justified by racist and homophobic stereotypes.
In 2022, Finnish police banned protestors from using flags of the PKK and other Kurdish organizations. In Berlin, protests commemorating Nakba in 2022 and 2023 were preemptively banned based on discriminatory biases, with police labeling participants as “prone to violence.” In Poland and Turkey, LGBTQ+ individuals have faced increasing harassment and discriminatory restrictions from authorities.
“The right to protest is a human right. Peaceful demonstrations should not be unjustly restricted, nor should people be punished for exercising their right to protest. Instead of imposing restrictive laws and practices, states must protect and promote the right to assembly,” Tuukkanen stressed.
HT
