New police powers to tackle slow-walking protests

The legislation will have to be approved by the Commons and Lords before it comes into effect

Police in England and Wales are to be given new powers to tackle "disruptive" slow walking used by protesters to block roads.

New legislation would give officers more leeway to intervene when protesters attempt to block roads with slow marching.

It will need to be approved by Parliament before it comes into force.

Just Stop Oil, Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion are among the groups to have used the tactic.

The government says the new law is required because the police lack clarity on when their existing powers can be used.

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Current legislation gives police the power to put conditions on protests that are likely to cause "serious disruption to the life of the community".

But the government says what this means in practice is not legally clear, leaving forces reluctant to act during certain demonstrations.

It has introduced a new law that specifies officers should be able to take into account the cumulative impact of disruption, and whether people are prevented from carrying out day-to-day activities.

They will also be able to take into account the wider geographical impact of protests, rather than just the impact on people who live and work in the area.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said this would "clearly define" when police can step in to stop "selfish" protesters "wreaking havoc in people's everyday lives".

The legislation will have to be approved by the Commons and Lords before it takes effect, a process that normally takes several weeks.

It follows government efforts to beef up broader police powers to tackle protests in the Public Order Bill, which recently passed through Parliament and will become law shortly.

'Deeply troubling'

Ministers tried to ban slow walking protests by adding measures to the bill in the Lords, but were narrowly defeated by peers.

Because of the way the measures were introduced, they could not be added back to the bill at a later stage.

The bill creates a new criminal offence for people who try to lock themselves to objects or buildings.

The government says it will allow the police to more effectively tackle "disruptive and dangerous" tactics used by protesters, but it has been heavily criticised by civil rights groups.

On Wednesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described the legislation as "deeply troubling".

It imposed restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly that were "neither necessary nor proportionate", he said.

BJ Harrington, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for public order and public safety, said: "Policing is not anti-protest, but there is a difference between protest and criminal activism, and we are committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people's lives through dangerous, reckless and criminal acts.

"It is the responsibility of Parliament to make the law and our job to enforce it."