Metropolitan Police officers form a cordon at Parliament Square to prevent protesters reaching Westminster Bridge during a Free Palestine Coalition demonstration in central London, January 6, 2024THE right to protest is facing an “unprecedented crisis” in England and Wales with legal reforms in the past years “fraying the fabric of democracy itself,” two major reports said today.
Law reform organisation Justice and Human Rights Watch called for the changes to be repealed and proposals for more curbs halted.
Justice chief executive Fiona Rutherford said: “Year by year, we see police powers grow, as our fundamental right to protest is treated more like a privilege.
“The law in this area has become dangerously unbalanced, empowering the state to silence voices it should be safeguarding.
“Reversing this trend is essential to restoring trust, protecting rights and preserving a healthy democracy.”
Human Rights Watch senior researcher Lydia Gall said: “The UK is now adopting protest-control tactics imposed in countries where democratic safeguards are collapsing.
“The UK should oppose such measures, not replicate and endorse them.”
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