The government says the new law is necessary because the existing legislation lacks clarity on when the police can intervene in such situations. The legislation will require Parliamentary approval before it can come into force.
Several activist groups, including Just Stop Oil, Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, have been known to employ slow walking to block roads during protests. While the current legislation does give police the power to set conditions on protests that will likely cause “serious disruption to the life of the community,” the government argues that what constitutes “serious disruption” is not legally clear, hamstringing police in certain situations.
The new legislation will give police the ability to take into account the cumulative impact of the disruption caused by a protest, as well as the broader geographical impact of the demonstration, rather than solely focusing on its impact on people who work or live in the affected area. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, believes that the legislation will more clearly define when police can intervene to prevent “selfish” protestors from causing chaos.
However, the legislation has come under criticism from civil rights organisations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has said that the legislation is “deeply troubling” because it imposes unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
