Criminal prosecutions against protesters who lock themselves together to block roads could be introduced to crack down on environmental demonstrations.
Extinction Rebellion activists have regularly used the tactic of “locking on” in protests, using chains and bike locks to tether themselves to large objects while obstructing roads and entrances to public buildings.
Home Affairs minister Baroness Williams of Trafford has now tabled a series of amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, apparently to give police greater powers to tackle protests.
A new offence of “locking on” would be created for anyone who “attaches themselves to another person, to an object, or to land” while causing serious disruption.
The proposed amendments, which are due to be debated by the House of Lords, would see the maximum sentence for wilfully obstructing a highway raised to six months and give courts the power to impose “serious disruption prevention orders” on people convicted of protest offences.
The Lords are expected to finish their scrutiny of the Bill later on Wednesday.
