New protest restrictions come into force
Posted: 11th July 2022
Protestors should beware of new measures in England and Wales under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 that were enacted on 28 June 2022.
Quaker sign in police van at DSEI arms fair 2019. Credit: Quakers in Britain
The Policing Act passed through parliament in March 2022 despite strong opposition from Quakers in Britain and many other organisations. The government is starting to implement this new law.
Protest remains legal. However, police in England and Wales can now put restrictions on protests because they might be noisy, including one-person protests. Protesters can be sanctioned for breaching restrictions they ‘ought to have known’ about.
The fines and prison sentences for some protest-related offences have increased. Liberty’s website has information on how to organise a protest.
The Policing Act also criminalises trespass in England and Wales. Friends, Families and Travellers have more information about what this means for Gypsy and Traveller camps.
The government is proposing to restrict protest even further in the Public Order Bill, which is currently going through parliament.
Sign the petition against the Public Order Bill
https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/new-protest-restrictions-come-into-force