New powers are set to be granted to police forces to oversee protests near religious sites, announced by the Home Office. The move comes in response to a series of protests deemed as “intimidating” that have taken place near synagogues and mosques in recent months. Police will now have the authority to place conditions on protests, such as the route and timing of marches, to prevent disruptions for worshippers visiting religious locations.
The extension of the law that prohibits individuals from climbing on war memorials will now also include the future National Holocaust Memorial to be constructed in Westminster. These new measures, introduced as amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, aim to protect not only synagogues and mosques but all religious sites, including churches. The government stated that under current legislation, police are allowed to impose restrictions on protests if they suspect the organizers’ intention is to intimidate others.
According to the Home Office, the updated laws will allow police to intervene if they have reasonable grounds to believe that a protest could lead to the intimidation of individuals seeking to access places of worship. The rationale behind the amendments includes recent demonstrations close to synagogues that have resulted in event cancellations and deterred followers from attending worship. The government also pointed to incidents targeting mosques during last year’s violent disorder as a driving force behind the changes.
The government highlighted a concerning rise in hate crimes, with a 113% increase in anti-Semitic incidents and a 13% rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes over the past year, based on police data. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the importance of the right to protest in a democracy but emphasized that this right does not extend to intimidation or impinging on the freedoms of others. Authorities will still need to conduct a “proportionality assessment” before imposing conditions on protests, balancing freedom of expression with the right of individuals to live without fear of intimidation or disruption. Additionally, the government has allocated up to £50m to safeguard faith communities in the upcoming year
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