Metropolitan Police: Use of Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 Debate
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Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
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Metropolitan Police: Use of Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Excerpts(4 years, 6 months ago)
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Baroness Williams of Trafford
The noble Lord is absolutely right. It is a judgment call for the Metropolitan Police. As he says, the protests have affected airports and the Tube. As my noble friend Lord McColl mentioned last week, they caused difficulty for people accessing medical treatment at St Thomas’, but that did not seem to bother the protesters.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)
My Lords, I declare an interest as the major litigant in the case that has come to court today, challenging the Met’s application of Section 14 powers over the whole of London. Does the Minister agree that it would surely be cheaper for the Government to start to deal with climate change than try to suppress protest?
Baroness Williams of Trafford
I think that we are talking about two entirely different things. Nobody disputes the right to protest. Everyone is well educated on some of the climatic changes that are taking place. This is about bringing a capital city to a standstill.