Thank you to everyone who contacted me about the in-person Civil Society Briefing on ‘cumulative disruption’ proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill and the right to protest.
The briefing took place on 7 January in the House of Lords. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend as I was dealing with other parliamentary commitments.
The right to protest is a fundamental part of our democracy. I share the belief that we should protect our rights to freedom of assembly and expression.
Many constituents have raised concerns about the Government’s decision to introduce new powers that would allow the police to put conditions on repeat protests. As those who have contacted me mention, senior police officers would be allowed to consider the ‘cumulative impact’ of previous protests. This refers to protests that may take place at the same site for several weeks at a time and cause repeated disorder.
I agree that the freedom to protest must be preserved. However, this right must also be balanced with the freedom for people to live their lives without fear.
As many will know, in recent years we have seen an increase in large-scale protests across the country. Although the majority of these demonstrations have been peaceful, I do not believe it is right to ignore the impact that some of the gatherings have had on sections of our country, particularly religious communities. Unfortunately, there have been troubling reports from people of all faiths feeling too intimidated to attend places of worship, or services being cancelled due to the proximity and nature of the protests.
These new powers would mean that police can put conditions on repeat protests, such as instructing organisers to hold the event in a different location. Similarly, the new measures proposed in the Crime and Policing Bill will also enable police to place conditions on protests that are planned near places of worship. This is to prevent disruptive tactics and ensure worshippers can practise their faith peacefully.
To be clear, these measures do not ban protests. Instead, it enables the police to consider the appropriate time, location or routing that a protest should have in order to avoid intimidating those wishing to practise their faith at their place of worship.
We value our rights to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and the right to protest. So many of the freedoms we enjoy, for example the right to vote, have resulted from popular protest.
Thank you once again to all those who raised this important issue with me.