Police to be granted fresh powers as repeat protests face new restrictions

Police forces to be granted new powers in protest crackdown

The plans issued by Shabana Mahmood will allow police forces to impose limits on protesters based on their previous activity, per Sky News.

More specifically, this means that police could order protesters to change the location of their demonstration if they have repeatedly held protests at the same sites.

In addition, anyone who does not obey these conditions could then be arrested.

The new restrictions, announced this morning, follow pro-Palestine marches across the country on Thursday evening, the same day that a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Greater Manchester took place. 

Criticising the protests, the home secretary deemed the demonstrations as "fundamentally un-British". Police had asked marchers to delay their protests, which they declined to do, per Sky News.

Mahmood said she will review the UK's existing laws to guarantee that the police have consistent and sufficient powers, such as the right to ban protests outright if necessary.

In order to allow these changes, it will include altering the Public Order Act.

"The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country. However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of their neighbours to live their lives without fear," she said, per Sky News.

"Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes.

"This has been particularly evident in relation to the considerable fear within the Jewish community, which has been expressed to me on many occasions in these recent difficult days.

"These changes mark an important step in ensuring we protect the right to protest while ensuring all feel safe in this country."