Why The Police Should Marshal Public Protests?

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Public protests have taken place frequently throughout time and have played a vital role in bringing up social and political changes. Throughout this essay, there will be discussions on what role should the police play in marshalling these public protests on the streets of England and Wales today. Any person or group of people gathering together to complain in a public way about something they think to be wrong is a public protest.
Under the Human Rights Act (Home Office, 2000) it is recognised as a legal right to protest and that there is a right to freedom of expression, allowing any person to express their opinions. However, this essay will discuss how the police should marshal these public protests when they need bringing back to social order; and discuss whether these …show more content…

Public protesting brings a challenge to police officers, as they have to strike the right balance in maintaining social safety and order and also uphold and maintain protesters rights.
A well-known protest that raised a few issues with how the police should marshal public protests is the G20 protests in London, where thousands of people protested over numerous long-standing and topical issues. Even though the majority of the protest was peaceful, there was threat of violence and criminal damage and this is why police choose to “kettle” protesters. One individual involved in the protest, Ian Tomlinson, died after he was pushed by a police officer and suffered an abdominal haemorrhage. In light of the G20 protest, a current publication from her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary into the policing of protest in Britain, has raised awareness on the way that police perform their role at