Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting or banning lawful demonstrations on community relations and levels of antisemitism; and what steps she is taking to distinguish between antisemitic conduct and legitimate political protest.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why this Government is taking strong action to tackle it in all its forms, wherever it happens.

This Government is committed to protecting the right to peaceful protest, while ensuring public order legislation balances freedom of expression with protecting the public from serious disruption or harm. Under the Public Order Act 1986 the police have powers to place conditions on protests, and it is for individual forces to determine the most appropriate approach based on the specific context. Under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, if a chief officer of police assesses that conditions alone will not be sufficient to prevent serious public disorder, they can seek the Home Secretary's consent to ban a march. However, the request must come from a chief officer and the Home Secretary cannot initiate a ban. There is no power to ban static assemblies.

The new Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduces measures such as Cumulative Disruption and Places of Worship provisions, designed to strengthen police powers to address intimidation and harm directed at communities, including the Jewish community, while safeguarding the right to peaceful protest. The police have our full support to take appropriate action when protests cross the line from peaceful demonstration to serious disruption.

Lord Macdonald of River Glaven is undertaking a review that will address whether the existing legislation is effective and proportionate, whether it adequately protects communities from intimidation and hate, and whether it strikes a fair and sustainable balance between the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest, and the need to prevent disorder and keep communities safe. The review is underway and will report its findings to the Home Secretary by the end of May 2026.