Saturday, 25 June 2022 — NetPol – Save Our Rights

New Police powers are coming into force next week!

On 28th June, most of the powers in the Police, Crime and Sentencing Act will come into force. This includes the changes to the Public Order Act that will allow the police to impose conditions on protests that are too noisy. It also reduces the threshold for arrest and prosecution for breaching conditions from having to prove that a person knew the conditions were imposed to only having to prove they “ought to know”.

We don’t yet know how the police will interpret their new powers. However, we know the police don’t need more powers and that they abuse the powers they already have. At Netpol, we’re getting ready to resist and monitor how they’re used. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we’ll be launching new campaigns around monitoring and specifics of the new powers. Our friends at Green and Black Cross will also be launching a new guide to the powers in the Act.

More than anything else it’s important to remember that protest is not, and will not, suddenly become illegal.

These powers can and will be challenged. And we can all work together and use our collective solidarity to #DefendDissent

Read: Netpol’s Defending Dissent campaign page

Free webinar: How will the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act impact our right to protest? 

Join Netpol and Garden Court Chambers on 30th June at 5:30pm for a free webinar on the new police powers.

Owen Greenhall and Audrey Cherryl Mogan from Garden Court and Lydia Dagostino from Kellys Solicitors will analyse and discuss what the Act includes and its potentially far-reaching implications for restricting freedom to protest and criminalising dissent.

This will be an invaluable chance to hear from some of the country’s leading protest lawyers about the new powers.

Register online here

Time is running out to apply for our new role!

You’ve only got until 27th June to apply to join Netpol and the Article 11 Trust as our Organising and Partnership coordinator.

Are you an experienced campaigner with connections to grassroots movements? Have you been involved in the campaign against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act? Are you passionate about upholding our right to protest? Do you have lived experience of repressive policing?

We are looking for someone to amplify the voices of marginalised communities and movements that the police will disrupt, harass, surveil, and criminalise with their new powers.

Find out more and apply here.

Support our work and donate to Netpol!