Home Office Warns Protesters Climbing War Memorials Could be Jailed

Police in England and Wales will have more authority to arrest protesters engaged in “disruptive” and “dangerous” disorder, with up to three months in prison and a fine of £1,000 for offenders.

A statement from the Home Office last Thursday detailed plans to add amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill to forbid climbing on war memorials and the possession of pyrotechnics like flares and fireworks at protests.

The amendments will also eliminate exceptions for “disruptive” offences like blocking public highways, and police will be authorized to arrest demonstrators who cover their faces to evade prosecution.

Home Secretary James Cleverly announced in a X video: “We are banning climbing on war memorials. We should honor those whose service enables us to live freely and whose sacrifice has protected the very right to protest itself.”

Cleverly emphasized that “the right to protest is fundamental to democracy,” but it “does not extend to disrupting the lives of hard-working people.”

If added to the current Criminal Justice Bill, the measures will ensure individuals who climb onto national monuments could face up to three months in jail and a £1,000 fine.

The proposed amendments also include creating a new offense for having pyrotechnics such as flares and fireworks during protests, with fines up to £1,000 for offenders.

Protesters wearing face coverings to avoid prosecution could face one month in prison and a fine of up to £1,000.

The Home Office also said that protesters engaged in “disruptive” offences, like blocking roads “will face justice.”

“Those obstructing roads or locking on to monuments will no longer be able to use protest as a legal excuse to avoid prosecution,” the department wrote on X.

‘There Is a Difference Between Protest and Criminal Activism’

Chief Constable BJ Harrington from Essex Police, who leads the National Police Chiefs Council’s work on public order and safety, welcomed the plans. He said the amendments will ensure officers “have the powers that we need to get the balance right between the rights of those who wish to protest, and those impacted by them.”

Harrington said, “There is a difference between protest and criminal activism, and we are committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people’s lives with reckless and criminal acts.”

However, human rights group Liberty criticized the measures as a “threat to everybody’s right to protest” and called on the government to reverse its decision.

Director of Liberty Akiko Hart said: “It is extremely concerning that the government is trying to impose even more conditions on not only when people can protest, but how they protest too.

“We all have the right to make our voices heard on issues that matter to us, but this government has continually made it harder for us to do that.”

Writing in The Telegraph on Wednesday, Ms. Braverman said: “But we must go further if we are serious. Firstly, we need new laws to address the phenomenon of mass extremism on our streets. The bar is set too high, so prosecutions are typically not sought.” The former home secretary said that ministers should be able to ban demonstrations which they deem could incite violence or which harm the public good.

Ms. Braverman added that “I will fiercely defend the right to peaceful protest in a democratic society. But these marches are not about peace. Rather they are outpourings of vicious bigotry.”

Jewish Charity Welcomes Proposals

Stephen Silverman, director of investigations and enforcement at the Campaign Against Antisemitism, reacted to the announcement in a press release, saying: “For months now, we have been asking for tougher restrictions to be placed on these protests, which have made our urban centers no-go zones for Jews. While the police have failed the Jewish community and law-abiding Londoners, the Government, to its credit, is listening.”

Silverman said that the new laws would “help address the mob mentality that we have observed in these protests, including the use of fireworks against police officers, desecration of war memorials and severe disruption to travel.”

“There is no justification for such scenes, and now, there will be no legal defense. The people of this country expect the lawlessness on our streets to be brought firmly under control, and with these changes there are now even fewer excuses for police inaction,” he added.

PA Media contributed to this report.