Protecting the right to protest: why we need to act now
Grace Da Costa explains the new dangers for the right to protest and invites people to join a mass lobby of MPs to challenge the potential legislation.
The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy. It's a key part of how people make their voices heard between elections.
Democracy embodies our Quaker commitment to equality, and protest is one of the many ways we try to bring about a more peaceful and sustainable world.
A new law going through the UK parliament threatens our right to protest yet again. As well as new restrictions on face coverings and protests around places of worship, the government has added a clause to the bill about 'cumulative disruption'.
'Cumulative disruption'
If this part of the bill becomes law, the police in England and Wales will be required to consider any past protests or planned future protests in the same 'area' when deciding whether to impose restrictions on a protest.
This clause is extremely broad and vague. Although the government has referenced the mass national marches for Palestinian rights, it could affect a whole range of other campaigns on issues that Quakers care about, including peace and climate justice.
An anti-racist march could be blocked from Whitehall because of a previous farmers' protest, or a pride march restricted because a far-right demonstration was recently held in the same town.
This clause undermines our human rights, in particular the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It has also been brought in via a very undemocratic route. The government added it to the Crime and Policing Bill at a very late stage when MPs had already had most of their debates on the new law.
It's important that we all raise awareness among MPs and the public about the injustice of this potential new law and the way in which the government is passing it.
Broader trend
The Crime and Policing Bill is part of a broader trend in the UK and around the world of cracking down on those who disagree with the government. Recent reports by JUSTICE and Human Rights Watch have highlighted a toxic combination of:
- Broad, vague and draconian laws such as the Public Order Act 2023 and 'serious disruption' regulations.
- Inconsistent interpretation and application of those laws creating uncertainty and fear among protestors and potential protestors.
- The increasing use of terrorism legislation to criminalise protest.
- An increasing emphasis on restricting meetings and protests on the basis that they might result in criminal activity rather than tackling it when it actually happens.
- Policing that is inequitable, inconsistent and sometimes arbitrary.
- Poor treatment of protestors who are arrested and charged.
- Lack of timely and fair trials for protestors, with people spending years on remand and being denied the opportunity to present their full defence.
Many Quakers have experienced these issues first-hand. When gathering evidence for the 'Independent review of public order and hate crime legislation', we heard from Quakers whose experiences included being held for hours in crowded cells, being removed from court for trying to explain their motivations to the jury, and being given long prison sentences for nonviolent protests.
Take action
Raising awareness of the anti-protest clauses in the Crime and Policing Bill is one of the most important actions we can take right now. Many MPs still don't realise what a huge impact these clauses could have on our human rights, so it's vital that we tell them.
Quakers in Britain are joining other civil society organisations to organise a mass lobby of parliament at 2–5pm on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
Anyone can take part. After registering, you'll get a full briefing pack, guidance and support to meet your MP.
If you can't make the mass lobby day, you can write to your MP using Liberty's tool to ask them to vote against the anti-protest clauses in the Crime and Policing Bill.
The anti-human rights movement is growing, and anti-protest laws could be even more dangerous in the hands of a far-right government. But there are millions of people committed to human rights and democracy, and we can still stop this latest law if we come together to take action.
