Rishi Sunak Warns of Britain's Descent into 'Mob Rule'

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed concern over the impact of protests against the Israel-Hamas war, describing it as a descent into "mob rule," a sentiment criticized by human rights groups as alarmist and potentially undermining the rights of peaceful protest. The protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to central London, have been predominantly peaceful but have led to arrests over signs and chants allegedly supporting Hamas. Sunak has announced a fund to step up security for lawmakers after reports of threats and intimidation connected to the war, and has urged police to take a robust approach to protect democratic processes from intimidation and disruption. The UK has seen a crackdown on protest rights in recent years, with new laws giving police more powers to restrict disruptive protests.