dpa
London
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has warned against “systematic attacks and restrictions” on freedom of assembly in many European countries, in a new report.
Titled “The state of the right to protest in 21 countries in Europe,” the report reveals “a continent-wide pattern of repressive laws, use of unnecessary or excessive force, arbitrary arrests and prosecutions” as well as “unwarranted or discriminatory restrictions,” the human rights watchdog said.
In addition, an increasing use of “invasive surveillance technology” can be observed, which Amnesty said leads to “a systematic roll back of the right to protest.”
Julia Duchrow, the Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, said the research paints “a deeply disturbing picture of a Europe-wide attack on the freedom of assembly.” According to the report, there were numerous examples of excessive or unnecessary use of force by the police during protests between 2020 and September 2023.
