Masks, Flares and Climbing Statues: The #Protest #Bans That Quietly Came Into Force This Week

Acts That Were Never Crimes Before

Major restrictions to the right to protest in #England and #Wales were quietly brought into force on Monday.

The measures include a new offence of:

• Concealing your #identity (e.g. with a face #mask) in police-designated areas around protests
• Ban on #protesting outside the homes of public office-holders, including #MPs, peers and candidates
• Extra police powers to impose conditions on protests near places of worship

bylinetimes.com/2026/07/01/mas…

#FreeSpeech #DemocracyNOW

Masks, Flares and Climbing Statues: The Protest Bans That Quietly Came Into Force This Week – Byline Times

New powers criminalise face coverings at demonstrations and ban protests outside politicians' homes

^{Josiah Mortimer (Byline Times)}