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Rishi Sunak has laid out tougher plans to crack down on protests outside parliament and MPs’ offices, claiming Britain is “descending to mob rule”.
The Prime Minister made the accusations during a meeting with Home Secretary James Cleverley and police chiefs after the government announced new funding to strengthen security for MPs amid complaints of intimidation. .
A new “Police Protocol for Defending Democracy” was announced by Number 10 and agreed between ministers and police chiefs, and forces were ordered to suppress protests.
The move comes as tensions rise over pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which often target politicians, in central London and across the country.
Mr Sunak told police they must use the powers they have or risk losing public trust.
At the roundtable he said: “There is a growing consensus that mob rule is about to replace democratic rule. And we must all work together to change this situation quickly…
“But we also need to demonstrate to the wider public that we will use the powers and laws that you already have.”
Under the agreed guidelines, police will step up their efforts to protect MPs and respond to suggestions of intimidation, with protests at politicians’ homes being “considered to be intimidating”.
The protocol said police had powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act to direct demonstrators.
Protests outside the offices of members of Parliament or parliament must not “obstruct or impede the use of, participation in, or access to the venue, or cause alarm, harassment, or distress to participants. “No,” the guidelines say.
Police were also asked to carry out additional patrols in communities in response to potential flashpoints, and to strengthen police visibility and public confidence, including deployment to politicians’ homes.
Ministers have announced £31m of funding to strengthen security for MPs. Some of the funding will go towards ensuring MPs have a dedicated point of contact with the police.
The College of Policing will also publish new guidance to ensure all officers are aware of their powers when policing protests.
Protocol said the recent protests were a “hijacking”.[ed]It aims to “subvert the democratic process” by intimidating members of Congress and disrupting political events.
“These are not isolated incidents, nor is the power of peaceful debate a legitimate means of achieving change,” the statement said.
“They are part of an increasingly coercive pattern of behavior aimed at yelling and coercing elected officials and hijacking the democratic process through force itself.”
This comes after pro-Palestinian protesters said they would continue marching in support of a ceasefire in Gaza despite ministers tightening restrictions on demonstrations. .
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) fired back at Cleverley, saying it had “made its point,” and its director Ben Jamal told reporters: “We will continue our regular protests.”
The PSC said it was “extremely rare” to notify police within six days, as it wanted time to inform potential participants of the march.
Jamal said the coalition would “consider” the need for further marches across the country once a ceasefire is agreed between Israel and Hamas.
The PSC also defended protesters during direct action, using the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Jewish Conservative MP Andrew Percy said the phrase, which was projected onto Parliament during a debate on the Gaza ceasefire in the House of Commons last week, was a “genocide call”.
Jamal defended the chant, saying: “This chant tells the story of how Palestinians are being stripped of their rights,” adding: “It is in no way a call to strip others of their rights.” Ta.
He added: “Despite the demonizing rhetoric, we will continue to chant this song.”