Two thirds of public concerned by plans to criminalise protest, polling shows – The Independent

Two thirds of British people would be concerned by government plans to criminalise protest, polling shows.

Research seen exclusively by The Independent suggests that two thirds of the population also agreed with the statement that people have the right to attend a protest to stand up for what they believe in.

It comes as the government backs a suite of controversial protest laws that would increase police powers to impose restrictions.

Last week, parliaments Joint Committee on Human Rights said proposals to restrict demonstrations on the basis of noise were oppressive and wrong.

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.

The government insists it is not clamping down on the right to demonstrate or violating human rights laws, but campaign groups have accused it of threatening the right to protest.

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.

NfpSynergy polled 1000 adults between 30 March and 29 April for the research.

Libertys head of policy and campaigns, Sam Grant, said: These findings show that there is no appetite for the governments 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.

Bristol riot: Police clash with protesters at Kill the Bill rally

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.

The proposed protest laws are contained within the wide-ranging Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny after being backed by MPs in March.

It has sparked a wave of demonstrations, including some that saw vandalism and violence against police officers, amid accusations that the government was stifling the right to protest.

Parliaments Joint Committee on Human Rights found that plans to allow police to restrict noisy demonstrations were not necessary in a democratic society and should be dropped.

Chair Harriet Harman said police already had access to perfectly adequate powers, and that protests themselves should be given explicit statutory protection in the law.

The report found that political rhetoric had been downplaying the importance of the right to peaceful protest and treating it as an inconvenience, and that public authorities should be reminded of their obligation to refrain from interfering unlawfully with the right to demonstrate.

In March, a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary that was commissioned by Priti Patel found police had been tipping the balance too readily in favour of protesters, against disrupted businesses and members of the public.

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Two thirds of public concerned by plans to criminalise protest, polling shows - The Independent