How the Crime and Policing Bill (2025) will repress activists

Dear friends,

Our right to protest is under attack. The past year has seen more than 2000 people risk terrorism charges for supporting Palestine Action. CAAT stands in solidarity with all the brave activists taking action to oppose the repressive ban on Palestine Action. Direct action is a form of protest, not terrorism.

The Home Office has just announced that police will be given new powers to crack down on repeat protests. CAAT will be monitoring this closely. Please keep watch for further actions to resist these new powers.

Furthermore, the Crime and Policing Bill (2025) includes three new public order offences which will impact activists across the country. This will build upon the sweeping anti-protest measures of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022) and the Public Order Act (2023). The Crime and Policing Bill (2025) is approaching its second reading in the House of Lords, and there is still time to voice your concerns regarding the impact it will have on our right to protest.

Photo credit above: Natasa Leoni

Criminalisation of face coverings at protests

The bill proposes criminalising the concealment of identity at a protest. As activists often face heavy police surveillance, many wear masks at demonstrations as a safety measure. The Crime and Policing Bill (2025) is trying to make this a criminal offence.

The impacts this new offence could have on those who wear face coverings for cultural, religious and health reasons are also deeply concerning. The Islamophobic and ableist nature of this must be called out. The bill allows for a defence to be made on religious, health and work-related grounds, but this will not stop initial arrests of anyone wearing a face covering, for any reason, from being made.

Criminalisation of pyrotechnic articles at protests

The second anti-protest offence will criminalise the possession of pyrotechnic articles at a protest. There is a risk this could be used against candle-lit vigils, as activists have already drawn attention to.

Criminalisation of climbing on memorials

Thirdly, the bill will create a new public order offence against climbing on memorials, notably the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square. Many memorials in the UK obfuscate Britain’s violent history of colonialism, and ensuingly anti-racist and Palestinian solidarity protests often rally around them. Frequently protesters will give speeches from atop these memorials to reach a large crowd. 

Photo credit above: Natasa Leoni and Tarunisms

JUSTICE and Liberty have raised concerns about the impact these proposed anti-protest clauses will have on human rights. These three new public order offences will infringe on our freedom of expression and freedom of assembly protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Labour Party’s Crime and Policing Bill (2025) is sponsored by the Home Office. Take action now and make your concerns known to the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and Minister of State in the Home Office, David Hanson, Baron Hanson of Flint.

Take a moment to comment on their social media pages to let them know your concerns about the anti-protest legislation in the Crime and Policing Bill (2025).

And as much as our government tries to deter people from taking to the streets, we still have the right to protest. It is clear that effective protest has the power to drive positive change: which is why our government wants to ban it! Tomorrow, please join your local genocide jet protest against an F-35 supplier near you, organised by our friends at Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

CAAT could not do this work without your support, and as always we thank you for your concerted efforts – whether you can join us in the streets, share our posts on social media, amplify our petitions, organise events with CAAT, lobby your MP and council or protest at arms companies directly. Your donations, if you are in a financial position to be able to consider this, are hugely appreciated as well.

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Solidarity,

Zoe and all at Campaign Against Arms Trade