Police in London have been accused of misusing their powers to suppress protests, with less than 3% of arrests for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance leading to prosecution. Research indicates a tenfold increase in such arrests since 2019, particularly targeting activists following a surge in climate activism. Campaigners assert that police actions intimidate protesters and infringe on the right to protest, while police defend their practices by emphasizing the difference in legal thresholds between arrest and prosecution. Sentencing for related offences has become increasingly severe since the law's establishment in 2022.
Research found that less than 3% of arrests for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance resulted in prosecution, highlighting potential misuse of police powers to curb protests.
Campaigners argue that police misuse the conspiracy to cause a public nuisance law to intimidate activists, showcasing an alarming rise in arrests since 2019.
Police maintain that their duty to intervene in protests involves distinguishing between arrest and charge, responding to where protests cross into criminality.
Areeba Hamid from Greenpeace UK describes the arrest of law-abiding protesters as an abuse of power and an attack on the right to protest in democracy.
Collection
[
|
...
]