“The Line We Crossed” Documentary Review: Uncovering the Struggle for Protest Rights in the UK

2025.10.12

Hi! It’s konkaz (@konkazuk).

The other day, I attended a film event organised by the local environmental group Sustainable Hackney, held at St. Paul’s Church in Stoke Newington.

What makes Sustainable Hackney’s film events so engaging is that they don’t just screen films about social and environmental issues — they also invite guest speakers involved in those themes and hold panel discussions after the screenings.

In this article, I will reflect on “The Line We Crossed” and give a brief report on the event itself.

What kind of film is The Line We Crossed?
Freedom of speech and the right to protest are under threat!
What can we do?

What kind of film is The Line We Crossed?

‘The Line We Crossed’ is a powerful documentary about how the right to protest is being increasingly restricted — not just in the UK, but across the globe.

Released in June 2025, this film directed by Liz Smith highlights how rising global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels have reached a level that threatens human survival, following the struggles of those who continue to fight despite government oppression.

Just Stop Oil activists keep speaking out to a public that seems worryingly unmoved by the crisis ahead. Even though their protests are entirely non-violent, they’re met with arrests, charges, and even detention.

Through this process, the film reveals how the very foundation of democracy — freedom of expression — is being increasingly undermined.

Freedom of speech and the right to protest are under threat!

Lately in the UK, more and more people have been arrested simply for standing with Palestine.

… And these aren’t violent activists — they’re ordinary people, peacefully speaking out for justice!

It is deeply concerning that we are reaching a point where even those who feel compelled to speak out against the appalling human rights violations unfolding in Palestine are being silenced. This represents a very dangerous state of affairs for any society.

Of course, the kind of direct action taken by “Just Stop Oil” — blocking roads and disrupting traffic — is a bit different from the pro-Palestine protests, so it’s understandable that opinions on them may vary.

Still, in both cases, people speaking up for the future and for human rights are being pushed down by laws and institutions meant to control them.

If we ignore these warning signs and do nothing, laws and regulations that serve the interests of those in power may quietly be created one after another—and by the time we realise it, our freedom and human rights could already be gone.

Freedom is just like health — you only realise its true value once it’s gone. That’s why it’s so important to remind people that we must protect it now, before it’s too late.

What can we do?

At the event, I was genuinely surprised to see that some of the people featured in the film were right there on stage for the panel after the screening.

When people hear the name Just Stop Oil, they probably think of the incident at the National Gallery, where activists threw soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers — by the way, the repair cost was said to be just £150! Because of that, I imagine many still see them as a rather “radical” group.

However, after watching the film and listening to the people who joined the panel, I strongly felt that they’re actually just ordinary people — people like you and me.

That’s exactly why it makes me stop and think.

In a capitalist society, those who speak the truth are often treated as troublemakers, while those in power use the media to portray them as “villains,” keeping the public from seeing what’s really going on.

And yet, they keep fighting — believing that one day, we’ll finally wake up and listen to their message.

So the question is, for those of us living in the same society, what can we do when faced with this reality?

Not everyone needs to sit on the road or stage protests in art galleries.

But we’ve already reached a point where we can’t just dismiss these issues as “nothing to do with me”. It’s time to start thinking seriously about them in our everyday lives.