Does the UK need new laws to ban marches and protests about foreign governments' actions abroad?
UK police can already impose conditions or ban specific marches under the Public Order Act 1986 if they risk serious disorder, as seen with the 2026 ban on the Al Quds Day march linked to Iran. Recent laws like the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 grant more powers against disruptive protests, face coverings, and foreign state-backed groups. Large pro-Palestine marches since 2023 have sparked debate over antisemitism, cumulative disruption, and free speech limits.
5 Opinions
It's a further slippery slope to Tiananmen Square.
Protests, marches, demonstrations are the best way to show governments, wherever they are, that their actions are unacceptable. They are also legal here, as in freedom of speech. Only problem is when some go to a protest in order to cause serious trouble. It's the trouble makers who need to have a think about why they go to cause disruption, the Police, who need to stop arresting peaceful protesters, and arrest the disruptors.
Protesting foreign regimes is how people urge the UK government to apply sanctions, cut trade ties, or offer diplomatic support. Allowing the govt to ban protests simply because they focus on foreign actions gives politicians the dangerous power to silence dissent against their favored allies
People are allowed to annoy you in a free society. Successive governments have taken far too much action to stomp on the right to freedom of assembly and expression and we're already well on a slippery slope.
As much as these marches are annoying, as long as the protest is within the law -freedom of expression should prevail. But police cannot arrest people for wearing opposite colours near these marches only because it is easier, they should act when actual breach of peace will take place.