New government attempt to criminalise lock-on protests
The government announced today it was reviving plans to make the popular protest technique of locking on a criminal offence.
Police Bill receives royal assent
The government’s controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill received Royal Assent today.
New crimes added to Policing Bill as government targets environmental protest
The protest tactic of locking on – used as far back as the Suffragettes – could become a criminal offence under new changes to the Policing Bill.
Priti Patel outlines plans to curb disruptive protests – they could lead to “unfair and arbitrary” arrests, say opponents
Courts will get new powers aimed at deterring disruptive protests, the home secretary announced this morning.
MPs to debate petition against protest policing bill
A parliamentary petition against legislation that has sparked protests across the UK is to be debated by MPs later this month.
Protest policing plans are an “assault” on human rights – campaigners
Civil liberties campaigners have condemned police plans for dealing with demonstrations as an “assault” on human rights.
Government announces new curbs on right to protest
The UK government has announced changes to public order legislation that would give the police greater powers to restrict protests.
“Stop labelling campaigners as extremists” – 600+ sign open letter
More than 600 people have signed an open letter to senior police officers calling for an end to the categorisation of political campaigning as “domestic extremism”.
Comments sought on protest policing guidance
A long-awaited consultation is underway on new guidance for policing protests.
Updated: Report corrected after falsely accusing anti-fracking campaigners of “grooming” 14-year-old boy
Update 29/8/2018: See section headed Swapping fracking at the bottom of this post. A report published today on social cohesion in Greater Manchester has been rewritten this evening after it emerged that a case study falsely accused anti-fracking activists of “grooming” a 14-year-old boy.
DRILL OR DROP? 