Fewer and fewer rights to protest
JVL Introduction
Two days ago (on 14th April 2026) Parliament voted to further restrict the right to protest. This has not been covered by the legacy media and should have been big news. Fortunately the Quakers have issued this brief report voicing their concerns, already raised through a letter signed by many faith leaders and others.
This focuses on the important issue of “cumulative disruption”, which is the most pernicious of the proposals approved by the 14th April vote, but MPs also voted to give police powers to deny protests “in the vicinity of a place of worship”, which as Jonathan Rosenhead observed in his article (see here) “(i)n context this clearly means ‘in the vicinity of any synagogue’. And ‘vicinity’ is a usefully elastic word.”
The whole Crime and Policing Bill is in its final stages but now, unless the whole Bill fails to become law, these clauses will be included, extending police powers and further restricting our democratic right to protest. We must continue to protest to keep our right to protest.
LL
This article was originally published by Quakers in Britain on Wed 15 Apr 2026. Read the original here.
MPs pass new protest restrictions despite faith leaders’ plea
MPs voted on 14 April to approve new protest restrictions in the Crime and Policing Bill.
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Both Labour and Tories are turning us into a Police State.
All we can do is keep campaigning and posting on all Social Media platforms that to stop and reverse these Laws, We need to Campaign for a Socialist Party that will reserve these Heinous Laws that are taking away Our Rights to Protest. It was the Israeli Lobby and its influence over many of our Politicians, that have caused this attack on the Protesting against the Genocide of the Palestinians by Israel.
Is there even one synagogue in England that doe not support the Genocide in Garza? or the right of Israel to all the land and an apartheid state?
Please tell me tnere is one.
I could not agree more with Mr Parker. It gives me hope to read these words. Born and raised in multi cultural Birmingham, I grew to love all. I have travelled the world, spending a lot of time in India, with Buddhist Tibetans, in Islamic countries, celebrating all religious festivals with those I believe to be my brothers and sisters worldwide and at home. We are all climbing the same mountain with it’s attendant difficulties, albeit with different views.