Political policing in Britain - the arrest of Dr Ranjeet Brar

This episode of Proletarian Radio features a harrowing account from Dr. Ranjeet Brar, a British surgeon and anti-racist activist, detailing his arrest by police under allegations of inciting racial hatred through speech at the US Embassy on April 4th. He describes being detained without clear charges, pressured to come in for an interview despite having young children at home, and subjected to what he calls political policing—where state institutions are weaponized to silence dissent. Dr. Brar recounts a pattern of repeated arrests for expressing opposition to state violence, particularly against Palestine, and links these actions to broader systemic repression under the UK government, including collusion with figures like West Streeting and Keir Starmer. He emphasizes that his speech—condemning Israel’s actions and calling for its removal from the map—was not racist but a moral stance against genocide, and he highlights the lack of due process, denial of phone calls, and the psychological toll of being criminalized for political speech. The episode underscores the erosion of democratic rights and the normalization of state surveillance and harassment of activists.