The government is planning to quietly change the Public Order Act to prevent Just Stop Oil protestors from wreaking havoc.
The proposed modifications clarify and widen the definition of the Act, allowing police more freedom and clarity in deciding when to interfere in protests.
Some fuel protestors have altered methods this year, including blocking traffic by strolling through cities such as London.
The recommendations, according to Rishi Sunak, will prevent “a small minority” from upsetting the lives of the “hardworking majority.” Police officials have already advised the Prime Minister that the definition of “serious disruption” is debatable.
The Government is toughening up the act, bypassing Parliament and the Lords and making the changes through secondary legislation.
The amendments clarify and broaden the meaning of “serious disruption to the life of a community,” stating that serious disruption might encompass the “cumulative impact of concurrent and repeated protests in the same area.”
Furthermore, the term “community” can refer to anyone touched by the protest, not only those who live or work in the neighbourhood of the parade.
Sunak previously stated on ConservativeHome that disruptive protests were “not right and we’re going to put a stop to it.”
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 had set out serious disruption as that preventing an “organisation” from carrying out its activities for “a prolonged period” within the vicinity of a protest.
The continuous protests by eco-campaigners has caused significant disruption, frustrating members of the public and prompting tough talk from politicians.
The proposal says: “This instrument would amend the Public Order Act 1986 (“the 1986 Act”) to provide greater clarity about, and a lower threshold for, whether a procession or assembly in England and Wales is likely to cause ‘serious disruption to the life of the community’.
“The changes are intended to allow the police to react more appropriately and consistently to protests, such as those carried out by Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.”
The plans are highlighted in this month’s House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee.