Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the Metropolitan Police Service about actions they are taking to protect the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square from (1) vandalism, (2) criminal damage, or (3) public disorder.

The right to protest peacefully is a long-standing tradition in this country and a vital foundation of our democracy. However, the Government continues to urge the public not to attend further protests. This is important to avoid the spread of coronavirus and the regulations we have in place to protect public health mean large gatherings of people are unlawful.

The rights to peaceful protest do not extend to unlawful activity and the police have powers to deal with any such acts. How the police use these powers is an operational decision.