Right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly

Motion Text

That this House recognises that the right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly is a cornerstone of a free and democratic society and insists that it must be safeguarded; expresses serious concern over the wide-ranging draconian anti-protest powers introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 under the previous Government; acknowledges that the police already have the powers they need to stop what goes beyond a peaceful protest; and therefore calls on the Government to repeal the protest-related provisions within these Acts and to reaffirm its commitment to civil liberties and the democratic right to protest.