Overview

• The UK Government has announced a new set of anti-protest measures, including the power for police to arrest individuals for wearing masks and banning flares and fireworks at protests.
• Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for even stricter laws, advocating for the government to have the power to ban protests outright.
• Civil liberties groups and climate campaigners have condemned the new laws as an attack on the fundamental right to peaceful protest, warning of a slide into authoritarianism.
• Labour has expressed concerns about the impact of the mask ban on political dissidents, urging the government to apply new measures appropriately and proportionately.
• The measures are part of amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill and have sparked debate over the balance between maintaining public order and protecting civil liberties.