Officers to act on repeated disruption – Home Office reforms
Police forces across England and Wales are to be given new powers to clamp down on repeat protests that cause ongoing disruption.
The changes are part of plans announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Tackling repeat and disruptive protests
The measures, unveiled on Sunday, will allow senior officers to take into account the “cumulative impact” of repeated demonstrations when deciding whether to impose conditions such as changing a protest’s location or limiting its duration.
If an area has seen weeks of unrest or repeated disorder, police will have the authority to direct organisers to move elsewhere – with anyone breaching the order facing arrest and prosecution.
“The right to protest is a fundamental freedom,” said Mahmood. “But this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of others to live their lives without fear.”
She added that large, ongoing protests – particularly those linked to recent tensions involving the Jewish community – had left some residents feeling “unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes.”
Changes to public order laws
The Home Office confirmed it will amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, giving police explicit powers to consider previous protest activity when imposing conditions on processions or assemblies.
The move forms part of a wider review into how protests are policed and organised, with ministers also considering whether existing laws are being applied consistently – including the potential to ban protests outright under certain circumstances.
Minister visits Lambeth as arrests rise
Policing Minister Sarah Jones visited Lambeth Police HQ on Saturday after nearly 500 arrests were made during demonstrations in London, many linked to the proscribed group Palestine Action.
Jones discussed the operational challenges of policing mass protests and how live facial recognition technology could be used to identify offenders more efficiently.
Mahmood will also write to Chief Constables today, thanking officers for their rapid response to protests following Thursday’s terrorist attack in Manchester, and urging them to use “the full range of powers” to prevent further disorder.
Protecting communities after Manchester attack
In the wake of the Yom Kippur terrorist attack in Manchester, Housing Secretary Steve Reed has urged local authorities to ensure Jewish communities are protected – including by restricting protest activity near community sites where possible.
Police forces are coordinating with the Community Security Trust to enhance protection at more than 500 synagogues and Jewish centres nationwide.
Wider measures in new crime bill
The latest announcement builds on provisions already in the Crime and Policing Bill, including:
- Banning fireworks, flares and pyrotechnics at protests;
- Criminalising the climbing of war memorials; and
- Prohibiting face coverings used to conceal identity at designated events.
Mahmood said the new powers would strike a “careful balance between the right to protest and the right of communities to feel safe.”
The reforms, she added, reflect a determination to “protect democratic freedoms while ensuring Britain’s streets remain safe, secure and respectful for all.”
