(Photo by Bob Bob via Flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Instances of extreme police violence at protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza have been making headlines throughout Europe. Police have been attacking peaceful protesters with brute force, hospitalizing some with serious injuries. Amnesty International has warned that police recklessness and militarization at protests present a grave danger to society.
The Right to Protest
Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are considered universal human rights. Therefore, by restricting the public’s ability to protest, European governments are stripping citizens of fundamental civil liberties.
Countries such as Hungary, Italy and Slovakia have passed legislation to make it harder for citizens to protest. Similarly, the former UK Conservative government amended protest laws in 2023 to make it easier to prosecute protesters. The new UK Labour government refuses to reverse these changes. In other countries, police presence and militarization at protests have significantly increased, often leading to arrests and disproportionate use of force against protesters.
Protests for Palestine 2023-Present
Since Israel began bombarding Gaza in October 2023, thousands have taken to the streets to show solidarity with Palestine. Many in Europe are protesting their governments’ complicity in Israel’s genocide. In response, governments are using law enforcement to arrest and fine protesters for wearing symbols of Palestinian resistance, such as flags and keffiyehs. Police have also been extremely aggressive, particularly against student protesters.
A student in Germany told Al Jazeera that a police officer hit her, sending her to the hospital with a concussion. Meanwhile, Students For Justice in Amsterdam posted a video on Instagram on April 15, 2025, depicting serious police aggression. Police officers in plainclothes appear to have viciously attacked, intimidated and arrested student activists with batons at the University of Amsterdam.
We can look to the past to understand that police violence towards those fighting against the status quo is a systemic issue. People now see many protest movements that emerged throughout the 20th century in Europe as pivotal moments in history. However, authorities at the time considered protests disruptive and clamped down on them, like pro-Palestine demonstrations today.
France 1961
In 1961, Algeria was fighting for its independence from French colonial rule. In France, hostility towards Arabs was particularly prevalent. On October 5, 1961, the French government imposed a curfew on Algerians, banning them from leaving their homes in the evening.
In defiance, the Algerian community organised a mass protest of 30,000 people in Paris on October 17, 1961. The police used unrestrained violence, killing and severely injuring protesters, the youngest of whom was only 15. Some were thrown into the River Seine, dead or alive.
Parisian police officers murdered between 200 and 300 Algerian protesters and seriously hurt hundreds more. The international press did not cover the story, and the officers involved have never faced repercussions for their actions.
Greece 1973
From 1967 until 1974, a military dictatorship ruled Greece, limiting citizens’ freedom and banning trade unions. In November 1973, students at the Athens Polytechnic University organized a large protest and occupied university buildings to oppose the country’s far-right military rule. It followed months of student union mobilization, during which authorities arrested many students.
Police used threats of violence to force students to abandon their protest. Officers shot at those who refused, killing several protesters. Despite the gunshots, the occupation held its ground until the military arrived. Military tanks crushed and killed over 20 students.
The fascist dictatorship did not fall until over a year later. However, Greeks celebrate the Athens Polytechnic uprising as the beginning of the end of Greece’s military rule.
UK 1984
The topic of police violence against striking workers dominated discussions about the 1984-85 miners’ strike in the UK. In 1984, the UK Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher planned to close 20 coal mines. Trade unions were concerned about the impact that pit closures would have on working-class communities.
Between 1984 and 1985, three-quarters of all coal miners across the UK went on strike. Miners set up picket lines and often met with resistance from police officers. The National Union of Mineworkers reports that officers injured around 2,400 striking miners during the strike, and killed two.
The most notorious incident of police violence took place in June 1984 in South Yorkshire, England. The events later became known as the Battle of Orgreave. Thousands of police officers confronted picketers at a steel plant with horses, dogs and riot shields. Accounts from that day describe miners being trampled by horses, kicked, punched, and beaten with batons.
Ultimately, the 1984-85 miners’ strike was unsuccessful. Following the strike, the government closed most of the coal pits in the UK. The impact of pit closures is still felt acutely in former mining towns and cities, which continue to face higher unemployment and poverty rates than the country’s average.
Czechoslovakia 1989
During the Second World War, Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia. In 1945, the Soviet army liberated the country. Although Czechoslovakia did not join the Soviet Bloc, it became a Soviet Satellite State, an independent country largely under Soviet control. In 1948, the Communist Party officially took over the country, making Czechoslovakia a one-party state for the four decades to come.
On November 17, 1989, students in Prague staged a large demonstration to mark the fiftieth anniversary of an important protest against Nazi occupation. It was also an opportunity for students to express their dissatisfaction with Czechoslovakia’s Communist regime. Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration, riot police brutally attacked the student protesters with batons and unmuzzled dogs. They also blocked street exits, making it difficult to escape.
The unjustifiable violence toward students in Prague led to nationwide protests against the regime. The wave of large-scale protests led to the fall of Communism in then-Czechoslovakia, and the events of November 1989 became known as the Velvet Revolution.
Policing Reform
Police violence at pro-Palestine protests follows a decades-long pattern of brutal police crackdowns on other social justice movements around Europe. The frequency with which the police resort to unnecessary violence is undoubtedly a public safety issue. Amnesty International reports that “Despite the gravity of … human rights violations, the officers who perpetrate these abuses are rarely held accountable.”
It is important to question why and for whom modern policing exists. History teaches us that students and the working classes are often at the forefront of social movements leading to real change. Without the ability to protest safely, citizens lose their right to hold those in power accountable. Therefore, when governments condone police violence against protesters, it can be considered an attack on democracy.
The persistent lack of accountability for police officers who abuse and even murder peaceful protesters demands serious cause for concern. Abuse of power by police officers is particularly worrisome for minority groups, who often experience the brunt of deep-rooted systemic biases in policing and surveillance. To protect citizens and safeguard human rights, policing in Europe should undergo urgent reform.
Edited by Gabi Andrychuk
