UPDATE: THANK YOU! Over 100,000 of you signed our petition, calling on the Government to scrap their dystopian plans to ankle tag innocent campaigners.Thanks to your pressure, the Government have now dropped these plans. These plans were nightmarish and defeating them is a great win for civil liberties in the UK.
Protest rights under attack
Strict Covid lockdown laws saw the arrest of peaceful protesters and reached boiling point with the shocking police behaviour towards grieving women at a vigil for Sarah Everard, who was murdered by an off-duty police officer.
Then the Government introduced its draconian Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which police can now use to criminalise people at protests for simply making noise.
Now they are coming for our protest rights again.
The latest threat
The Government has devised a new anti-protest Bill.
Under this new Bill, named the Public Order Bill, the police will be given powers to stop and search anyone attending a protest, put punitive conditions on the lives of campaigners, restrict their internet access and even stop them from going to protests altogether.
These are some of the most disturbing and anti-democratic police powers introduced in the UK for decades. There should be no place in our society for police monitoring and oppression of people simply campaigning for change.
These extreme police powers would be controversial in Russia and China– we cannot allow them in a democratic country like the UK. They must be resisted.
YOU DID IT!
Over 100,000 signed our petition to stop the Government from ankle tagging innocent protesters. Thanks to your pressure they have now reneged on these plans.
Many threats to our protest rights remain but by working together we can defend civil liberties and protect freedoms for the future.
PETITION
Research and policy briefings
You can read our parliamentary briefings on policing protests here:
IN THE MEDIA
Take Action
1
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Included in the new Public Order Bill are powers to electronically monitor innocent protesters. This cannot stand. If thousands of us sign this petition, we can make Suella Braverman drop these dangerous new powers.
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