This was on a phone-in on LBC this morning about the new attack on the Right to Protest.
Camp Beagle Condemns Government Plans to Curtail Protest Rights.
Camp Beagle stands in firm opposition to the UK Government’s alarming plans to expand police powers and restrict public protest. These proposals—announced in the wake of recent demonstrations—threaten to undermine one of the most essential pillars of a democratic society: the right of the people to peacefully assemble and speak out against injustice.
The Home Secretary’s intention to amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, allowing police to consider the “cumulative impact” of protests and potentially ban them outright, sets a dangerous precedent. While the government claims these measures are about public safety, they risk silencing dissent and criminalising peaceful protest—especially those that challenge powerful interests.
Camp Beagle was born out of protest. Our movement exists because ordinary people refused to stay silent in the face of cruelty and injustice. We have always stood peacefully, passionately, and lawfully for the rights of animals and the public’s right to know what happens behind closed doors. These new proposals threaten not just our ability to protest, but the ability of every citizen to hold power to account.
We are deeply concerned that these changes will disproportionately affect grassroots movements, marginalised voices, and those who rely on public protest to be heard. The right to protest is not a privilege—it is a fundamental freedom enshrined in British law and international human rights standards. Attempts to erode this right must be met with resolute opposition.
Camp Beagle calls on all MPs, civil society organisations, and members of the public to reject this authoritarian drift. We urge the government to reconsider its approach and to engage in meaningful dialogue with protest groups, legal experts, and human rights advocates.
We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will continue to stand for justice—for animals, for people, and for the right to protest.