Braverman tells peers to back ‘proper penalties’ for disruptive protesters ahead of Lords vote | Politics News
Suella Braverman has urged colleagues to support “adequate punishments” for disruptive protesters in a proposed new law.
The government says the new powers will allow police officers to intervene before protests become “highly disruptive” and give them a better understanding of when they can intervene to stop the protests. Protesters blocked roads or marched slowly.
Amendments to the Public Order Bill to limit tactics used by groups such as Just Stop Oil, British insulation and Extinction Rebellionaccording to the house secretary.
On Monday, the bill reached the reporting stage at the House of Lords, with debates over measures used by some protesters such as door locks and tunneling, the threshold at which police can intervene as well as new stop and search powers.
Under the proposed changes, police would not need to wait for disruptions to occur and could quell protests before they escalate.
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‘Will the Prime Minister consider making Just Stop Oil a banned organization?’
Ahead of the debate, Ms. Braverman said: “Enough is enough. Blocking highways and walking slowly on the streets delays our life-saving emergency services, keeps people from getting to work and drains resources. of the police.
“Just Stop Oil over the span of 75 days has cost taxpayers £12.5 million in police response. This is simply not fair to the British public.
“I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this measure tonight – it’s our duty to stand up for the public to abide by the law and to protect their right to conduct business.”
Suella Braverman says ‘enough is enough’
The Public Order Bill is seen as a successor to the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act passed last year, which was criticized for introducing restrictions on voting rights. love.
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: “Suella Braverman may borrow phrases from popular protest movements, but she is part of an anti-democratic minority on the wrong side of history.
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“The government is looking to close all roads to legal protest – by anyone about anything. The police already have full powers to arrest people who obstruct the highway.”
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Ecology opposes ‘cat and mouse game’
Oliver Feeley-Sprague, military, security and police program director at Amnesty UK, said: “This bill and its last-minute amendments are extremely draconian and must be raised. out and reject it before it’s too late.
“The right to protest is fundamental to a free and fair society – a right for which everyone has had a long and arduous struggle. Without the right to protest, the ability to hold those in power accountable everyone’s responsibility.
“These kinds of restrictions can have a chilling effect by seriously discouraging people from participating in protests in the first place.”
