Britain’s Public Order Act goes too far
The right to protest has long had limits. But a new law draws them too tightly
Over the past year British environmental protesters have pulled off some spectacular—and spectacularly aggravating—feats. At the National Gallery they upended a can of tomato soup over van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” before gluing themselves to the wall. On the M25 they climbed the gantries, forcing the motorway to close for hours. They have tunnelled beneath railway lines and chained themselves to bridges, halting construction and traffic.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Out of order”
Britain May 20th 2023
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