A comprehensive new database has catalogued nearly a thousand verified cases of institutional crackdown on Palestine solidarity in Britain over a six-year period, painting a systematic picture of repression spanning law enforcement, academia, and the workplace.
The European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), in collaboration with investigative research group Forensic Architecture, has launched Britain's Index of Repression, a publicly searchable national database documenting 964 incidents between January 2019 and August 2025.
The index, presented at the Frontline Club in London, is described as the first accessible database of its kind in the country. It was originally developed for Germany earlier in 2025 before being extended to Britain.
The database records a wide range of repressive actions, including arrests, workplace dismissals, academic suspensions, and event cancellations. Researchers note a sharp rise in documented cases following October 2023, coinciding with the start of "Israel's" genocide in Gaza.
Who is doing the repressing, who is being targeted
Police and security forces emerged as the most frequently implicated actors, appearing in 220 of the documented cases. Educational institutions followed with 192 incidents, while pro-"Israel" advocacy and lawfare organisations were linked to 141 cases. Among the latter, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) alone was connected to 128 incidents of institutional repression; journalists and media figures were implicated in a further 113 cases.
Those most frequently targeted were students, academics, and teachers, who collectively faced 336 incidents, more than a third of the total. Activists and organisers accounted for 229 cases, while public and private sector workers together faced 169 incidents. Artists and cultural workers were targeted in 71 documented cases.
A three-stage pattern of repression
The report identifies a recurring sequence through which repression typically unfolds. It begins with what researchers call smear and distortion, public accusations, disinformation, and censorship, accounting for 261 incidents.
These campaigns then feed into institutional responses, with 136 cases involving threats of legal action, 114 resulting in formal disciplinary proceedings, 81 involving threats to employment or funding, and 41 included bans on demonstrations or events.
The final stage involves direct enforcement. Researchers documented 131 arrests or law enforcement interventions, 111 incidents of harassment, doxing, or surveillance, and 90 cases resulting in concrete legal, financial, or professional consequences.
Legal tools as instruments of suppression
The report singles out two legal frameworks as central enablers of this repression: the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism and the Terrorism Act 2000.
The IHRA definition has been widely contested, including by its own lead drafter, Kenneth Stern, who has publicly warned that it is being misused to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli policy rather than to combat genuine antisemitism.
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