UK’s PM Rishi Sunak supports the police in clamping down on illegal protests to make lawbreakers feel the full force of strong law execution.
Rishi Sunak has said it is “completely unacceptable” that people were having their lives disrupted by a “selfish minority” who join illegal protests.
The prime minister said: “My view is that those who break the law should feel the full force of it.”
Sharing a post, he wrote, “This afternoon I met police chiefs to make it clear that they have my full support in acting decisively to clamp down on illegal protests.
The public has had enough of this disruption and those breaking the law should expect to feel the full force of it.”
This afternoon I met police chiefs to make it clear that they have my full support in acting decisively to clamp down on illegal protests.
The public have had enough of this disruption and those breaking the law should expect to feel the full force of it.#PublicOrderBill pic.twitter.com/y4TR7rO115
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) December 1, 2022
Speaking after the meeting at No 10 he said the police had his support. Ms. Braverman and policing minister Chris Philp met with police chiefs on Thursday and were joined by Rishi Sunak at the start.
The prime minister said the police were already being given new powers to clamp down on illegal protests and would have his full support in acting decisively to end “the misery and disruption” caused to ordinary families.
“I’ve said to them [the police] whatever they need from the government they will have in terms of new powers, we’re already giving them some, and I want to back them to use them.”
Following the talks in Downing Street, police chiefs described the meeting as “constructive” and Chief Constable BJ Harrington said the police were “not anti-protest, but we are anti-crime”.
A statement said: “Police are committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people’s lives through dangerous, reckless, and criminal acts.”
He said the meeting showed a commitment to tackling criminal activism while respecting lawful protest.
Earlier Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Just Stop Oil protesters were being “much less assertive” because their suspected leaders are in custody. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has met with police chief constables to discuss tactics used by some environmental protest groups, such as Just Stop Oil.
He suggested that efforts by officers were having an effect, but admitted some criminal trials might not take place for two years amid delays in the criminal justice system.
Speaking at the London Assembly, Sir Mark said he was “absolutely determined” that anything that goes beyond lawful, reasonable protest would be “dealt with robustly”.
Earlier, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke on the allegations of racism made against Buckingham Palace, commenting that the “job is never done” when tackling racial abuse. While Mr. Sunak refused to comment directly on the incident or the monarchy itself, the Prime Minister said that despite the country’s “incredible progress” in dealing with racism, we must continue to “confront it” whenever we see it. He added: “It’s right that we continually learn the lessons and move to a better future.”
However, the form of racism that Rishi Sunak speaks of in Britain must be very mild, because after all, Rishi Sunak is the first prime minister of the UK of a “colored” and Asian in origin, unthinkable, even fifty years ago.
