Our right to protest is under attack from new government legislation currently passing through parliament

Posted: 26th February 2026

Our right to protest is under attack from new government legislation currently passing through parliament. We need your help fighting back. 

This is why we are jointly organising a mass lobby of parliament on Tuesday 17th March with a broad group of civil society organisations – will you join us putting pressure on MPs to oppose this legislation?

The Crime and Policing Bill will soon return to the House of Commons, where we need your help putting pressure on MPs to oppose clauses that restrict our right to take part in protests. Ministers have made it clear that the primary intention of these clauses is to prevent people attending the huge Palestine demonstrations protesting against the British government’s complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and illegal occupation of Palestine. But the legislation will have far reaching implications for any campaign using protests as a tool for change.

This is a fundamental attack on our democratic rights, and earlier this year we organised a statement signed by over 45 civil society organisations to oppose the government’s proposal to give the police new powers to effectively ban repeat protests. The broad list of signatories, from the TUC to Liberty to Greenpeace shows a vast and united front against the government’s plans. Now we need you adding your voice to oppose these measures by registering to lobby your MP on Tuesday 17th March.

Lobbying your MP is easy and anyone can join – you just need to be available to be in parliament between 2pm–5.30pm on Tuesday 17th March. You can watch the video below which explains the whole process and guides you through the day.

You’ll also be sent a full briefing pack to help you prepare before arriving in Parliament, and lots of people will be around to advise and support you. The most important thing is to be there, joining hundreds of other constituents to tell your MP face-to-face that they must act now!

Our right to protest will be tested in court next week as PSC Director Ben Jamal and Stop the War Vice-Chair Chris Nineham go on trial for charges arising from our January 2025 peaceful protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We’re hoping for a positive result, but no matter what the outcome we need to keep up the pressure in parliament to fight this attack on our fundamental rights!

In solidarity,  

James

PSC Campaigns Officer