More than forty leading civil society organisations across Britain have launched a united front to oppose what they label "dangerous" government proposals to grant police greater powers to ban demonstrations in England and Wales.
Coalition Warns of 'Draconian Crackdown' on Democratic Rights
The broad coalition, which includes the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Greenpeace, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Amnesty International UK, Liberty, Quakers in Britain, and the National Education Union, issued a joint statement on Monday. They are rallying against an amendment to the crime and policing bill.
The controversial change would require police to consider the "cumulative impact" of repeated protests in the same area when imposing conditions on demonstrations. The groups argue this represents a "draconian crackdown on our rights to freedom of expression and assembly."
They highlight that the legislation fails to define the size of an "area" and does not oblige police to consider whether the protests are linked by cause or participants. "An anti-racist march could be blocked from Whitehall because of a previous farmers’ protest, or a pride march restricted because a far-right demonstration was recently held in the same town," their statement warns.
Government Cites Community Safety, Critics See Repression
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the new powers in October. She stated that repeated large-scale demonstrations concerning Gaza had instilled "considerable fear" within the Jewish community, particularly following a deadly terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester.
However, critics contend the measures are a disproportionate response. Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: "Instead of addressing its responsibilities under international law... successive governments have instead sought to repress protest through ever more draconian laws." He emphasised that the right to protest is a "precious democratic principle" under grave threat.
The joint statement, also signed by numerous other trade unions, charities, NGOs, and faith and human rights organisations, draws a direct line to historic protest movements. It notes that the civil rights movement, the campaign for women’s suffrage, and the anti-apartheid struggle all relied on the cumulative impact of sustained action. "No protest movement has ever brought about change through a one-off demonstration," it asserts.
Calls for Government to Drop Proposal and Protect Rights
The coalition is calling on the government "to immediately drop its dangerous proposal." Paul Nowak, the TUC General Secretary, linked the issue to broader democratic concerns: "With the far right on the rise in the UK and across the globe, we must be extra vigilant in defending basic human rights and democratic norms."
Lyle Barker, a policy officer at Liberty, urged ministers to halt the expansion of police powers pending a review of existing laws, and to instead focus on "protect[ing] our basic human right to make our voices heard."
In response, a Home Office spokesperson defended the plans, stating: "The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy... These new powers will not ban protests, but they will help protect communities from repeated disruption while protecting the right to peaceful protest."
