Protest rights

That this House recognises that the right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly is a cornerstone of a free and democratic society and insists that it must be safeguarded; expresses serious concern over the wide-ranging draconian anti-protest powers introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 under the previous Government and the Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduced by the current Government; acknowledges that the police already have the powers they need to stop what goes beyond a peaceful protest; and calls on the Government to repeal the protest-related provisions within these Acts and to reaffirm its commitment to civil liberties and the democratic right to protest.