Overview

• The Home Office moved to amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act to let police weigh the cumulative impact of repeated demonstrations when setting conditions.
• Forces will be able to move, reschedule or limit protests on that basis, with breaches carrying up to six months in jail or unlimited fines under the Act.
• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the policy imposes conditions rather than a ban, adding that not every freedom must be exercised at every moment.
• The shift follows a deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue and months of large pro‑Palestine protests after Palestine Action’s July proscription, with reports of hundreds of arrests and a disputed higher toll.
• Civil liberties advocates warn of a chill on lawful dissent, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch signaled support for tighter controls within the law, and recent court rulings had curtailed earlier attempts to lower intervention thresholds.