Protest isn't a dirty word – but successive governments have tried to convince us otherwise

When I think about protest, I often think about Big Power for Little London, a community campaign near where I grew up in Rotherham. Little London residents are at the forefront of protests challenging inequality locally and demanding accountability from wealthy landlords who leave buildings derelict.

They’ve marched to the local town hall to deliver petitions to council leaders, projected films onto derelict buildings to take a stand against rogue landlords, and been a key local voice in the successful campaign to end no-fault evictions.

When we want to challenge injustice and change our society for the better, protest is one of the ways we make that happen. And the public know it, with nine out of 10 people believing that everyone has the right to voice their opinion and raise awareness on the issues they care about. The public overwhelmingly supports the right to protest.

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Yet, governments have tried to make protest a dirty word in recent years. Successive governments have ushered in measures that restrict our fundamental right to protest, framing those of us who go out and make our voices heard as troublemakers, criminals, or even threats to national security.

From climate protesters sent to prison for joining a Zoom call to anti-monarchy activists held in police custody for simply carrying placards, we’ve seen the chilling effects of legislation like the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023 unfold before our eyes over the past few years.  

But, despite the rhetoric of governments that would make us think otherwise, our history is filled with examples of protests that have driven positive change across our society. The suffragettes weren’t just a thorn in the establishment’s side; they secured votes for women. LGBTQ+ activists who pushed for the repeal of Section 28 abseiled into the House of Lords to challenge homophobic legislation in a way that couldn’t be ignored.

Protests aren’t just about national change – they’re about what happens in our own communities too. We should cherish these stories of courage and change, and ensure it is possible for us all to keep making our voices heard on the issues we care about – without the threat of punishment that currently looms large as a result of new laws.   

This year, Liberty has been at the forefront of defending the right to protest. From seeing off threats to introduce new protest laws at the start of the year, to winning our High Court case against the former Government over anti-protest measures they unlawfully brought in, our work will not stop until everyone has the right to protest without fear of repercussion.

As we look to 2025, our Christmas list to the government is long. We need a reset of our right to protest. Reviewing and repealing the draconian measures of recent years is a start. Recent research we conducted with the think tank Demos showed that most people want to see our right to protest protected and strengthened.

This includes strong public support for removing police powers that restrict noisy protest as well as repealing vague locking-on offences that have seen both protesters and people simply going about their daily lives fall foul of this disproportionate law.

This Christmas, let’s remember the spirit of the season: hope, generosity, and justice. Let’s pledge to protect the rights that underpin those values, for ourselves and future generations. And let’s remind our Government that democracy isn’t a gift to be hoarded by the powerful. As Big Power for Little London showed, it’s a light that shines brightest when it belongs to everyone.

Jodie Beck is a Policy and Campaigns Officer at Liberty.

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