Readers respond to an article by George Monbiot about last-minute amendments to the bill, cracking down on the right to protest
There is likely to be a serious unintended consequence of the draconian anti-protest amendments that the home secretary, Priti Patel, has, as George Monbiot puts it, “crowbarred” into the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill (Jailed for 51 weeks for protesting? Britain is becoming a police state by stealth, 1 December). If the amendments enter the statute book, protests will probably become more violent.
When those taking part in demonstrations know from the outset that their participation alone could well lead to receiving a custodial sentence of up to 51 weeks, quite a few of them will be inclined to escalate their demonstration methods to make the sentence worthwhile. After all, what will they have to lose?
