Majority of public concerned by plans to ‘criminalise protest’

New polling, the results of which have been seen by The Independent, shows that two thirds of British people would be concerned by government plans to ‘criminalise protest’.

The government is currently pursuing a suite of controversial protest laws that would increase police powers to impose restrictions. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would also create a new ‘public nuisance’ offence, give the Home Secretary the power to define ‘serious disruption’, allow police to ban one-person protests and increase prison sentences for non-violent crimes related to demonstrations.

Critics to the proposals are increasing, with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights recently arguing that the proposals to restrict demonstrations on the basis of noise were ‘oppressive and wrong’.

Polling by nfpSynergy, which was commissioned by the Liberty human rights group, found that 63 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement: ‘People should have the right to attend a protest to stand up for what they believe in’.

A further 70 per cent agreed that ‘people should be able to stand up to power and challenge injustice’.

Asked whether they would be concerned about ‘plans to criminalise protest’, 62 per cent of respondents said they were and 28 per cent said they were not.

Sam Grant, Liberty’s head of policy and campaigns, said: “These findings show that there is no appetite for the government’s dangerous proposals, and widespread concern over such a broad attack on our rights. Those in power must listen to the chorus of opposition they are facing and scrap these plans. By protecting our right to protest, we protect each other, safeguard our rights, and ensure we can all stand against oppression and injustice, and for a fairer society.”