UK to crack down on ‘disruptive’ protests with new bill
5202 Mins Read
The British home secretary has unveiled plans for a major crackdown on disruptive protests carried out by environmental groups such as Extinction Rebellion.
Suella Braverman says the new Public Order Bill will stop demonstrators holding the public “to ransom”.
Ministers will be empowered to block protests causing “serious disruption” to key infrastructure and goods.
Activists said they would not be intimidated by law changes aimed at “silencing non-violent people”.
Environmental groups including Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have staged various protests and demonstrations in recent months, causing disruption to commuters and traffic in central London.
More than 350 Just Stop Oil protesters – demanding halts to all new oil and gas licences and consents – have been arrested in London since the start of October, according to Home Office figures.
The home secretary described one incident which saw emergency fire crews unable to get through a junction in Knightsbridge as “indefensible”.
Ms Braverman has long expressed opposition to such protests, telling the Conservative Party conference earlier this month there was “not a human right to vandalise property”.
She will use the Public Order Bill to allow secretaries of state to apply for injunctions in the “public interest” where protests are causing or threatening “serious disruption or a serious adverse impact on public safety”.
The new legislation – which will be put to MPs next week – will also see jail sentences of up to six months or unlimited fines for protesters accused of “locking-on” to people, objects or buildings – a favoured tactic of climate demonstrators.
Home Office officials said the proposed legislation would create a new criminal offence of interfering with infrastructure, such as oil refineries, airports and railways, carrying sentences of up to 12 months in prison.
