Responding to this weekend’s excessive clampdown on peaceful protests and the passage of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in Parliament over the next two days, Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, said:

“No-one could fail to be shocked by the Met Police’s actions at this weekend’s vigil for Sarah Everard. Priti Patel has said that lessons must be learned, yet if MPs vote this week to extend policing powers of protests they will show that they have learnt nothing.  

“The apparent excessive use of force by Met police officers is a stark and timely warning about precisely why Parliament must not allow yet more police powers to quash peaceful protest.

“The proposals being rushed through put enormous and unprecedented powers in the hands of the state to effectively ban even peaceful protests. If that happens, scenes like those this weekend will become more common.

“The UK cherishes its self-image as a place of liberty which values our rights to expression and assembly.  We mustn’t let the Government take this away.”