Since the military action by the USA, UK, and their allies began in Iraq on 20 March, a backlash against certain human rights has been witnessed around the world. These include attacks on the rights to freedom of expression and assembly; excessive use of force by police against anti-war demonstrators and restriction of asylum rights. Amnesty International urges all governments to respect the right of people to express peacefully their opinions, and to refrain from using the war in Iraq as a pretext for curtailing or abusing fundamental human rights.