Thank you for contacting me about protests and blockades.
I have been appalled to see the disruption caused by groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion. Hard-working people across the UK are seeing their lives brought to a standstill by these selfish, fanatical and dangerous so-called activists.
Quite frankly, this type of repeated protest activity is unacceptable. I am encouraged that the Government has legislated, through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act, to enhance the police’s ability to manage protests, allow essential services to continue unabated and ensure that the day-to-day lives of the overwhelming majority are not disrupted by a selfish minority.
The measures in the Act allow the police to take a more proactive approach in managing highly disruptive protests causing misery to the public. Amongst other areas, the Act widens the range of conditions that the police can impose on static protests to match existing police powers to impose conditions on marches, broadens the range of circumstances in which police may impose conditions on a protest, and restates the common law offence of public nuisance in statute.
You might be interested to know that the PCSC Act also increased the maximum penalty for the offence of wilful obstruction of a highway from a fine of £1,000 to an unlimited fine and/or six months' imprisonment. I would certainly hope law enforcement make use of these powers when tackling the highly disruptive protest activity we have seen in recent weeks.]
More recently, the Government has introduced the new Public Order Bill. This legislation includes a range of proposals to better protect the integrity of transport networks and fuel supply in England and Wales, making it a criminal offence to interfere with key national infrastructure.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.