Parliament camps banned but not before Wills wedding

12 April 2012

Protest camps will be permanently banned from Parliament Square under new legislation announced today by Home Secretary Theresa May.

Tents, sleeping bags, mattresses and other structures for sleeping overnight outside the Houses of Parliament will be prohibited, as will loudhailers and speaker systems.

Police will be given powers to seize equipment to ensure that Parliament Square is available to the public.

The new laws will not come into force until after next year's royal wedding, leaving the Government with the continued headache of how to clear the square of the peace camp in time for the celebrations.

Prime Minister David Cameron has promised that the square will be fully available to the public when Prince William and Kate Middleton marry at the end of April. Ministers today were confident that a solution would be found in time. They said the new legislation would prevent future "eyesores" while improving the rights of others to protest legitimately.

Laws which require protesters in "static demonstrations" within a mile of Parliament to receive advance permission from the police will also be scrapped. The area will be covered by the same rules which apply to protests everywhere else.

Mrs May said: "These proposals will put a stop to the most disruptive elements which have turned Parliament Square into a campsite and prevented tourists and Londoners enjoying this historic landmark. We fully support the public's right to peaceful protest; however this does not mean allowing individuals taking over a public place, like Parliament Square and preventing others from enjoying it."

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill announced today by Mrs May will create a national system of directly elected police commissioners in charge of supervising local forces. In London this role will be performed by Mayor Boris Johnson.

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