In the news this week in the UK there was quite a lot of focus on a bit of a kurfuffle that happened in Parliament on Wednesday. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House, appeared to ignore the advice of the clerks and allowed the Labour Party to effectively hijack the Scottish National Party's day of debate with a focus on a Gaza ceasefire. It appears each party wanted a ceasefire debate, but only wanted the debate to be about their kind of ceasefire.
On the day the focus in the news media was all about SNP's, and other MPs, outrage at what the Speaker of the House had decided. Later in the day, and over the next day, what emerged was the speaker apologising for what he'd done, but explaining such being motivated by a concern over pressure on and threats to MPs from protestors.
In the media this then led to a debate about what level of protesting was or wasn't OK.
Predictably Suella Braverman stated that "The truth is that the Islamists, the extremists, and the antisemites are in charge now". Her intervention was, of course, in no way linked to her continuing capmapign to become the Conservatives next leader, albiet one in opposition, which might be seen as a small blessing.
On the left, Sarah Lunnon, a Just Stop Oil co-founder, announced that JSO will be taking its protests to the homes of Labour MPs. In an interview on Radio 4's Today programme Sarah argued that non-violent, peaceful protest outside politician's homes was OK. And of course it is - if it doesn't unreasonably disrupt the lives of the MPs and their families.
So singing christmas carols outside an MPs house might be described as non-violent, peaceful and reasonable. Whilst doing the same every night for a week, or between 9pm and midnight, might still be seen as non-violent, but might not be seen as entirely peaceful and not at all reasonable.
In a year in which we'll probably have a UK election what also seemed to be missing from the debate was a discussion about what people had voted for in our democratic elections. Susan appears appalled at the prospect of our extinction. Suella seems determined to create an environment where we feel threatened by those not like us.
Both seem to be missing the fundemental point of a democracy. Which is that any government in power in the UK has won a majority in our system of voting and from the people who chose to vote. And they did so based on a manifesto in which they set out what they are going to do about issues - like climate change or multi-culturism.
Perhaps those protesting should focus their efforts on election time and on persuading voters to back candidates who will address the issues the protestors are protesting about.
And after the election protestors might still want to protest, non-violently, peacefully and reasonably. But they do so in a country where the government is democratically elected, even government with opinions that the protestors don't agree with.
This whole debate seems to have been kicked off with politicians manouevering to ensure a debate on a Gaze ceasefire was about the type of ceasefire they wanted. At the end of this week it had morphed into a dabate about what sort of protesting focused on MPs and their families was unreasonable.
As Marina Hyde puts it in her Guardian piece today "There doesn't seem a whole lot of point in saving humanity if you can't exhibit any"
BACKGROUND BRIEFING ON PROTEST RIGHTS IN THE UK (source = a microsoft copilot response to the question "Write a short article summarising how uk law limits what you can and can't do in a protest"
Protest Powers in the UK: A Brief Overview
Protests play a vital role in our vibrant and tolerant democracy. As citizens, we have the right to gather and express our views, but these rights are not absolute. Let’s explore how UK law balances individual rights with the interests of the community during protests.
1. The Right to Peaceful Protest
- No specific right: While there is no specific legal provision for peaceful protest, it is enshrined in the broader rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.
- These rights are protected under articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which the UK has incorporated into domestic law through the Human Rights Act.
2. Balancing Individual Rights and Community Interests
- Disruption and assessment: UK law recognizes that protests should not unduly disrupt daily life. The police and wider society must strike a fair balance between individual rights and the general interests of the community.
- Police assessment: Sometimes, the police inaccurately assess the level of disruption caused by a protest. To address this, a modest reset of the scales is needed.
- Recent legislation: The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 aims to improve the police’s ability to manage protests. It enables them to balance protesters’ rights with the rights of others to go about their daily business while ensuring public safety.
- Examples of disruptive protests: Certain protest tactics, such as halting public transport networks, obstructing roads, and preventing access to hospitals, have disproportionately impacted the public and strained resources.
- Costs and safety: Protests can be costly (e.g., Extinction Rebellion’s protests) and endanger public safety (e.g., assaults on police during BLM protests).
3. Striking the Right Balance
- Challenges: Existing public order legislation is outdated and inadequate for handling disruptive protest tactics.
- Aim: The new measures seek to strike a fair balance, allowing peaceful protest while safeguarding public well-being.
- Police discretion: The police will have improved tools to manage protests effectively, ensuring that everyone’s rights are respected.
In conclusion, while the right to protest is fundamental, responsible and respectful protest behavior is essential to maintain harmony and protect the broader community. 📢🇬🇧
Sources:
- GOV.UK - Protest powers: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 factsheet
- The Guardian - How will recent and future legislation affect the right to protest in the UK?
- The Guardian - What is the law on the right to protest in the UK?
No comments:
Post a Comment