The UK has a long history of protest, from the suffragette movement of the early 1900s to the miner’s strikes in the '80s - protests are fundamental to UK democracy. Disruptive tactics have been used throughout history, however activist groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil have generated widespread controversy over recent years for damaging public monuments and causing disruption at major public celebrations and events. The Public Order Act 2023 was passed in May 2023 to address the chaos caused by ‘extremist’ protesters, particularly targeting actions such as ‘locking-on’ to buildings or highways. However, the new bill has been criticised by human rights organisations such as Amnesty International UK for “restricting people’s fundamental rights to peaceful protest". So what do these changes mean? Do the police really have more powers to stop protests?

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