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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent

Met police accused of targeting pro-Palestine protesters for stop and search

A Youth Demand march in April 2024.
A Youth Demand march in April 2024. Of the searches, 40 were of those at a Youth Demand protest for Gaza the following July. Photograph: Guy Bell/REX/Shutterstock

The Metropolitan police have used controversial powers to stop and search protesters almost 50 times since they were introduced, with nearly all instances at a peaceful pro-Palestine demonstration, a civil liberties group has found.

Police in England and Wales can carry out suspicionless stop and searches in relation to protest activity under section 11 of the Public Order Act 2023, which came into force on 20 December 2023.

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