Civicus Monitor downgrades UK for undermining civic freedoms

The Civicus Monitor, which ranks the democratic and civic heath of 197 countries and territories worldwide, released its most recent annual results on 16 March, which sees the UK downgraded, due to restrictions on protests, attacks on migrant rights, the growing distrust in police forces and threats to workers’ rights in the country. A score is given to each country or territory and is then rated as open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed or closed. The UK has been downgraded from ‘narrowed’ to ‘obstructed’, which means that civic freedoms, in particular the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, is being undermined. Other countries rated as ‘obstructed’ include Poland, Hungary and South Africa.