Ministers were facing mounting fury today over a draconian new anti-protest law that would hand police greater powers to break up events like the Sarah Everard vigil. Should the bill become law, defacing monuments will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins defended the bill today, insisting that it was designed to target 'very, very disruptive protests'. But critics said that it would still give police forces far stronger powers than they currently possess to break up peaceful gatherings. They included the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, and the new law would bar protests from outside the House of Parliament.

Source: The Nation March 14, 2021 13:18 UTC