by Harriet Sherwood, Guardian
Yvette Cooper says change needed in England and Wales after concerns over marches near synagogues and mosques
The government plans to give police in England and Wales powers to change the route or timing of protest marches planned outside places of worship in order to give greater protection against intimidation.
The government is to include the powers in an amendment to the crime and policing bill after concerns were raised about protests near synagogues and mosques.
Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said: “The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, which must always be protected, but that does not include the right to intimidate or infringe on the fundamental freedoms of others.
“That’s why we are giving the police stronger powers to prevent intimidating protests outside places of worship to ensure that people can pray in peace.”
The measures will allow police to impose conditions on demonstrations where the effect of the protest is to intimidate people attending a place of worship. The conditions may impact the route and the timing of the protests.
Police would have to balance the right to freedom of expression with the right for others to go about their daily lives free from intimidation and serious disruption, the Home Office said.
The changes would give police “total clarity on how and when they can protect religious sites from the types of protest designed to disrupt them”, it added.