Yesterday the UK had its state opening of Parliament and Queen's Speech, in which the Conservative-LibDem government promised a Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill which would, among other things, "[allow] members of the public to protest peacefully without fear of being criminalised". Meanwhile, just outside the House in Parliament Square, police were arresting peaceful protestors, while the Mayor of London has announced that he will permanently clear the democracy camp which has sprung up there by trespassing its participants from a public space.
For a government which promises to restore civil liberties eroded under Blair, this is a very bad start.
