The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion has criticised the policing of the vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard in Clapham at the weekend.
Caroline Lucas spoke out as the Conservative Home Secretary Priti Patel made a statement to the House of Commons about it today (Monday 15 March).
The Brighton Pavilion MP said: “I acknowledge the particular policing challenges at a time of covid restrictions, but the Met is still obliged to follow the Human Rights Act and execute its powers proportionately and only when necessary.
“It is clear to everyone that it got it terribly wrong on Saturday night.
“Does the Secretary of State therefore not see that handing over yet more draconian powers to the police when they have so badly misjudged this situation would be both foolish and dangerous?
“A bill that criminalises protests that are noisy and have impact effectively means cancelling this country’s long-standing right to peaceful protest altogether.
“Finally, will she stand in solidarity with the women arrested over the weekend and call for the withdrawal of any fixed-penalty notices that were issued because of the Met’s disproportionate response?”
The Home Secretary said: “I will not go over my comments about the police on Saturday evening. Those points have been made.
“I absolutely disagree with what the honourable lady said but we will discuss it further on the second reading of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill later this afternoon.
“The fact is that, as a country, we believe in freedom of expression, free speech and the rights of people to express themselves freely through protest – managed protest – in the right way.
“The police always engage with individuals and organisers.
“We will debate this during the course of the bill but I am afraid that the honourable lady has completely misrepresented the proposals that we are putting forward.”
To read the Home Secretary’s statement on “policing and prevention of violence against women” – and the subsequent questions and debate – click here.
The Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, spoke during the debate later about the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill when he said that the Home Secretary was “asleep on the job”.
Mr Kyle criticised delays in bringing cases to court and the extra suffering that this caused, in particular, to victims of rape and sexual assault.
And he spoke about “sex for rent”, telling the Home Secretary that he had contacted her predecessors about the scandal.
