Protests in England will once more be permitted under new coronavirus laws coming into force next week.
Under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021, from March 29 protest will be considered a permitted exception to the rules banning group gatherings.
Legal documents published on Monday said this is as long as “it is organised by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body or a political body”.
The demonstrations can only go ahead if the organiser “takes the required precautions in relation to the gathering”, the law says, which is likely to include making the event “Covid-secure” like ensuring people wear face masks and are socially distanced.
It comes after a protest in Bristol over a police and justice bill that critics say will restrict the right to protest descended into violence.
Conservative former minister David Davis told the Commons: “I’m sure everybody will join the Home Secretary in condemning what were evil and shameful acts yesterday – there’s no two ways about that.
“The simple truth is that those evil and shameful acts demonstrated only too clearly the need for the police to have powers to deal with disruptive, dangerous actions masquerading behind the right to demonstrate and that she’s right to promote that.
“That being said, many of us – I suspect including her – view the right to demonstrate peacefully as a foundation stone of our democracy.
“Can she give the House an undertaking that before we get to report stage (of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill), we will make sure that the right to demonstrate peacefully is absolutely guaranteed in our law?”
Priti Patel said the right to protest peacefully is a “cornerstone of our democracy”, adding: “It is one this Government will always defend.”
The Home Secretary said she will “work with everybody” to ensure the police have the powers they need to tackle the “kind of appalling thuggery and criminality” seen in Bristol.
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