Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

While criticizing Russia and Iran crack down on protests: Home Secretary to crack down on 'disruptive' protests with new bill

While criticizing Russia and Iran crack down on protests: Home Secretary to crack down on 'disruptive' protests with new bill

Protesters could be blocked from targeting key infrastructure under the home secretary's new plans.

The home secretary has unveiled plans for a major crackdown on disruptive protests carried out by environmental groups such as Extinction Rebellion.

Suella Braverman says the new Public Order Bill will stop demonstrators holding the public "to ransom".

Ministers will be empowered to block protests causing "serious disruption" to key infrastructure and goods.

Activists said they would not be intimidated by law changes aimed at "silencing non-violent people".

Environmental groups including Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have staged various protests and demonstrations in recent months, causing disruption to commuters and traffic in central London.

More than 350 Just Stop Oil protesters - demanding halts to all new oil and gas licences and consents - have been arrested in London since the start of October, according to Home Office figures.

The home secretary described one incident which saw emergency fire crews unable to get through a junction in Knightsbridge as "indefensible".

Ms Braverman has long expressed opposition to such protests, telling the Conservative Party conference earlier this month there was "not a human right to vandalise property".

She will use the Public Order Bill to allow secretaries of state to apply for injunctions in the "public interest" where protests are causing or threatening "serious disruption or a serious adverse impact on public safety".

The new legislation - which will be put to MPs next week - will also see jail sentences of up to six months or unlimited fines for protesters accused of "locking-on" to people, objects or buildings - a favoured tactic of climate demonstrators.

Home Office officials said the proposed legislation would create a new criminal offence of interfering with infrastructure, such as oil refineries, airports and railways, carrying sentences of up to 12 months in prison.

Meanwhile, tunnelling under infrastructure to cause damage will also now carry a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison, and police will be given new powers to take a more "proactive" approach to some protests.

"Preventing our emergency services from reaching those who desperately need them is indefensible, hideously selfish and in no way in the public interest," Ms Braverman said on Saturday.

"The police need strengthened and tougher powers to match the rise in self-defeating protest tactics and that's what the Public Order Bill will do."

Responding, Just Stop Oil said: "We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by injunctions sought to silence non-violent people. Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.

"Stand with our supporters in prison, with the 1,700 murdered across the global, for protecting our futures. We will not die silently, it will be ordinary people, like you, your friends, colleagues and neighbours who do what our government cannot."

Earlier this year the government suffered a major defeat in the House of Lords, after peers rejected similar plans to clamp down on noisy and disruptive protests.

Opposition members described the plans - tabled by then Justice Secretary Dominic Raab - as "oppressive" and "plain nasty".

Labour peer Lord Hain - a former Northern Ireland secretary - called the move "the biggest threat to the right to dissent and the right to protest in my lifetime", adding that it would have "throttled" protests by the suffragettes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
×