The government’s new Public Order Act 2023 allows the police to shut down protests before they even happen. To detain people for having things that could be used to lock themselves onto objects or people, which led to protestors being detained for having luggage straps during the coronation! And it also massively expands stop and search and arrest powers, which further harms overpoliced communities and people of colour. [2]
These new powers attack everyone’s freedom of expression and stop us from being able to take peaceful action to protect our planet. [3] Our democratic rights have been hard won, but right now are being easily lost - so we have to get the Public Order Act scrapped before it's too late.
This may seem like a challenge, but history proves that people power can achieve change. Over the years we’ve come together to ban whaling, stop fracking and block Shell from drilling in the Arctic. [4] We’ve done all this and more, because we’ve taken peaceful action to challenge those who seek to harm our planet and millions of people like you have supported us by signing our huge petitions.
To repeal the Public Order Act, we’re going to have to challenge the laws directly and we’re going to need more people than ever before to support our demands. We’ll be taking peaceful action against the government in the weeks and months ahead - so John, please can you take a stand with us by signing our petition calling on the government to scrap the new anti-protest laws?
