Interior Minister Priti Patel will tell lawmakers that “we do not make politics by crowd management” as he urges them to support a new public order bill.
It is trying to reintroduce measures that were previously blocked by the House of Lords as part of a bill on police, crime, convictions and courts.
These include the introduction of a new crime for obstructing large transport networks, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Interference with key national infrastructure – such as railways, roads and printing presses – will also become a crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Amnesty International says the interior minister is smearing the peaceful protest with plans, while fair trials say the government “seems intent on destroying the right to peaceful protest instead of defending it”.
As she opened a debate on the second reading of the bill in the House of Commons on Monday, Ms. Patel was expected to tell lawmakers: “From day one, this government has put the safety and interests of the law-abiding majority first … but lately of criminal, destructive and self-destructive tactics – by an extremely selfish minority.
“Their actions divert police resources away from the communities where they are most needed … and we see parts of the country stop … This is reprehensible behavior and I will not tolerate it.”
As part of the bill, the police will also be given the power to actively stop and search people to confiscate items intended for “locking”, such as glue or bamboo structures designed to obstruct the police.
Locking tactics, such as protesters clinging to roads or public transport, have been repeatedly used by groups such as Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
Courts will also be given new powers to issue orders to prevent serious disturbances, which will make those found to have repeatedly caused disturbances carry an electronic label to ensure that they are not in a specific place where they can commit “Protest crime”.
Ms Patel added: “I will not stand aside and allow anti-social figures to continue to cause misery and chaos to others. The Public Order Bill will give the police the right to take more active action to protect the rights of society to live in peace.
“No matter how passionately you believe in a cause, we are not making politics through crowd management in this country … I will not hesitate to support the police and uphold the law-abiding majority, and so does the Law on Public Order.”
Read more: Noisy protesters could feel the full force of the law after the approval of a new bill
But Labor’s shadow minister, Yvette Cooper, said the bill “fails at all points”.
She said it was too “broadly painted” and could also punish passers-by or peaceful protesters.
She said Labor’s proposal to speed up the provision of bans when vital services are threatened with disruption would be better.
“It’s a wasted opportunity to take a sensible approach and everything went wrong.
“The interior secretary is simply recycling broadly outlined measures from the police bill, which have already been rejected by parliament.
“Tomorrow, instead, we must hold a second reading of the long-awaited bill on victims with measures to tackle rising crime and declining prosecutions; instead, the interior minister disappointed everyone. “
Amnesty International’s head of policy and government in the United Kingdom, Alan Hogarth, described “outrageous” Ms Patel as “slandering peaceful protesters as a” mob “.
Image: The UK government welcomes the protests in Hong Kong
She added: “At a time when protesters in places like Moscow or Hong Kong have been hailed for their bravery – including by members of our government – it is incredibly depressing that Priti Patel is pushing for these repressive laws.”
Norman Reimer, CEO of Fair Trials, said of the Home Secretary’s latest proposals: “By reintroducing plans that have already been rejected by British parliamentarians, the UK government seems intent on destroying the right to peaceful protest rather than defending him. “
Meanwhile, Extinction Rebellion (XR) has already announced plans to “take millions of people to the streets” in response to the new bill, after it was announced in the Queen’s speech earlier this month.
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