UK politicians seek to criminalize protests against them
A legislative proposal seeks to criminalize demonstrations held outside the residences of Members of Parliament, with potential penalties including up to six months in prison.
Under a new UK law currently being proposed, ostensibly designed to combat the harassment of politicians, individuals demonstrating outside the homes of Members of Parliament could face up to six months in prison.
Protests across the nation have increased in recent months, driven by escalating public frustration with government policies.
The government announced on Tuesday that the Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in February and currently under parliamentary consideration, would grant police expanded authority “to clamp down on toxic behavior.”
Security Minister Dan Jarvis stated that the degree of abuse confronting those active in British politics was “truly shocking” and posed “a threat to our democracy.” A parliamentary survey found that 96% of lawmakers had experienced harassment, while the Electoral Commission reported that over half of candidates in the last general election faced threats or intimidation.
Before assuming office last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was personally targeted by pro-Palestinian activists who placed children’s shoes and a banner outside his London home, pressing him to support an arms embargo on Israel. Since then, his government has confronted growing public anger on numerous issues, with an Ipsos poll suggesting that nearly 80% of Britons now disapprove of his performance.
The UK has seen numerous demonstrations in recent months – from protests against migration to rallies decrying what critics refer to as a crackdown on free speech. In September, right-wing groups staged a large ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally in London, expressing dissatisfaction with Starmer’s leadership. Police estimated attendance to be between 110,000 and 150,000, while organizers claimed as many as three million protesters took part.
Rights groups caution that this measure could further criminalize peaceful protest. Amnesty International has denounced the proposed bill as “an alarming assault on the right to peacefully protest.”
Last week, Greenpeace activists encircled the statues of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and suffragist Millicent Fawcett in London’s Parliament Square with metal bars. This was in protest of what they termed the government’s attempt to characterize demonstrators as criminals and terrorists.
“When protest is criminalized, we don’t just attack activists – we attack democracy itself,” stated Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.