UK Government Grants Police Expanded Powers to Curb Repeat Protests

Demonstrators scuffle with police officers as they try to march along Whitehall to protest and demand protection for the Global Sumud Flotilla in London on Thursday.

The UK government has announced new measures granting police greater authority to restrict repeated demonstrations, following a major pro-Palestinian protest in London that saw nearly 500 arrests.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes will allow senior officers to consider the “cumulative impact” of protests when deciding whether to impose restrictions. Until now, police could only assess each protest individually. The move comes after a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue heightened concerns about community safety.

“Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes,” Mahmood stated. She emphasized that while the right to protest remains a fundamental freedom, it must be balanced with the rights of others to live without fear.

The government plans to amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, enabling police to impose conditions such as relocating demonstrations or, in extreme cases, banning them outright. Critics, including human rights groups, have warned that the measures risk undermining civil liberties.

Saturday’s protest in Trafalgar Square went ahead despite calls from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Metropolitan Police to postpone it. Organizers argued that cancelling peaceful demonstrations would “let terror win.”

The debate now centers on how to balance freedom of expression with public safety, as the UK faces rising tensions over the Israel-Palestine conflict and its impact on domestic communities.