UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has urged the House of Lords to back a proposed law that will see “proper penalties” for protesters who use “guerrilla tactics” to cause widespread disruption to the public.
The UK government on Jan. 16 announced plans to give police more powers to tackle “disruptive protests” such as those organised by climate activists, allowing officers to intervene before protests become highly disruptive.
The proposed move would give police greater clarity about dealing with demonstrators blocking roads or slow marching, a tactic that has been used by groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain, and Just Stop Oil.
Under the proposed changes to the Public Order Bill, police would not need to wait for disruption to take place and could shut demonstrations down before they escalate. Police would not need to treat a series of protests by the same group as standalone incidents, but would be able to consider their total impact.
‘Enough Is Enough’
Ahead of the debate, Braverman said: “Enough is enough. Blocking motorways and slow walking in roads delays our life-saving emergency services, stops people getting to work, and drains police resources.”“Around 75 days of Just Stop Oil action alone cost the taxpayer £12.5 million in policing response. This is simply not fair on the British public,” the home secretary added.
“Our Public Order Bill will see proper penalties for the small minority using guerrilla tactics to hold the public to ransom under the guise of ‘protest.’ Having listened to the police, we need to clarify what constitutes serious disruption in law, so officers can take much quicker action to protect the public and prevent days on end of gridlock on our roads.
“I urge colleagues across the House of Lords to pass this measure tonight—it is our duty to stand up for the law-abiding public and protect their right to go about their business.”
Reacting to the home secretary’s statement, the Just Stop Oil climate group called Braverman “part of an anti-democratic minority that is on the wrong side of history.”
A spokesperson said: “The government is seeking to close all avenues for legitimate protest—by anyone about anything. The police already have adequate powers to arrest people for obstructing the highway. The proposed powers will give them carte blanche to do as they please with whomever they please—they are deeply anti-democratic and unnecessary.
“We look forward to the police using the powers they already have, to ensure those planning the greatest criminal act in history are arrested and brought to trial.”
Police Welcome Clarity
When he announced the new bill earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the right to protest doesn’t mean protesters have the right to cause public disruption at will.He said: “The right to protest is a fundamental principle of our democracy, but this is not absolute. A balance must be struck between the rights of individuals and the rights of the hard-working majority to go about their day-to-day business.
“We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end. The police asked us for more clarity to crack down on these guerrilla tactics, and we have listened.”
The proposed measures have been welcomed by senior police officers.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “It is clearly understood that everybody has the right to protest. Increasingly however police are getting drawn into complex legal arguments about the balance between that right to protest and the rights of others to go about their daily lives free from serious disruption. The lack of clarity in the legislation and the increasing complexity of the case law is making this more difficult and more contested.”
Rowley added: “It is for Parliament to decide the law, and, along with other police chiefs, I made the case for a clearer legal framework in relation to protest, obstruction, and public nuisance laws. We have not sought any new powers to curtail or constrain protest, but have asked for legal clarity about where the balance of rights should be struck.
“I welcome the government’s proposal to introduce a legal definition of ‘serious disruption’ and ‘reasonable excuse.’ In practical terms, Parliament providing such clarity will create a clearer line for the police to enforce when protests impact upon others who simply wish to go about their lawful business.”
