Suella Braverman has unveiled plans for a major crackdown on the kinds of protests favoured by climate activists – as she pledged to stop demonstrators holding the public “to ransom”. The Home Secretary said she will give the police new powers to take a more “proactive” approach to some protests, with some of the measures specifically targeted at the tactics used by some environmental groups.
Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion activists have staged various protests and demonstrations in recent months, causing disruption to commuters and traffic in central London. Ms Braverman had already voiced her opposition to the type of protest favoured by some environmental activists, telling the Tory conference earlier this month there is “not a human right to vandalise property”.
Accusing protesters of draining police resources, Ms Braverman will use the Government’s Public Order Bill to allow secretaries of state to apply for injunctions in the “public interest” where protests are causing or threatening “serious disruption or a serious adverse impact on public safety”. According to the Home Office, this will include protecting access to “essential” goods, services and “key” infrastructure.
