UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to announce measures to curtail disruptive activists

The Home Secretary of the United Kingdom Priti Patel has stated that new orders will be announced to curtail disruptive activists. Addressing a Tory conference speech, Patel announced plans to increase the sentence for protesters who disrupt the motorways, reported BBC News.

The decision of the British government comes after environmental campaigners blocked roads, highways to highlight climate change, according to The Associated Press.

UK Home Secretary to announce measures to stop disruptive activists

As per the BBC report, the government is also aiming to give police more powers that would allow the security officials to inspect activists and prevent them from travelling around the country. Priti Patel in her conference speech in Manchester announced a new criminal offence for interfering with national infrastructures such as roads, railways and newspaper printing press, reported BBC News. The new measures that will be introduced by Patel to stop disruptive activists will be included in the Police, Courts and Sentencing Bill that will be going through Parliament. 

The new order will reportedly target people with a "history of disruption" or those who are 'likely to commit a crime' reported BBC News citing a Tory source. The Britain Home Secretary Priti Patel has planned to increase the maximum sentence for disruption of a motorway. Patel further added that in recent weeks, climate activists have blocked the M1, M4 and M25. Furthermore, she insisted that "freedom to protest is a fundamental right" and their party will fight to "uphold" it, as per reports. She, however, stressed that the protests must be "within the law". The announcement of the home secretary comes just weeks ahead of COP26 that is to be held in Glasgow.

The UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has reportedly in recent weeks applied for court injunctions to stop Insulate Britain campaigners from halting motorways, reported The Guardian. The fines that are imposed currently for blocking a highway are up to £1,000. The activist group on Monday, October 4, stated that 54 supporters had blocked Hanger Lane in northwest London, the Blackwall tunnel in south-east London and Wandsworth Bridge in south-west London. The blocking of roads came as the activists started the fourth week of their campaign for government action on home insulation. 

Inputs from AP

Image: AP