>this nonsense about the UK being some authoritarian hell hole is getting silly.

Not really. They're arresting people for protesting a genocide.

>i don't mean some obnoxious twat bulling teachers over Facebook. I mean speech that actually matters

Just a holocaust, nbd.

They're not being arrested "for protesting a genocide", they're being arrested for showing support for a group which has been declared to be a terrorist organisation. Regardless of your views on the latter, the former is an important distinction you seem to be unaware of. The fact there are thousands of people regularly protesting against Israeli actions in Palestine and yet not being arrested completely undermines your point.