Content

The Labour Amendments to the Motion
were Carried
 
RESOLVED:
 
This Council notes that:
 
· 
On 2 May 2023 the final stages of the Public Order Bill passed
through the House of Lords, which gives the Police greater powers
to prevent serious disruptions caused by protests in England and
Wales.
· 
Article 11 of the Human Rights Act 1998 enshrines the Right to
Peaceful Assembly into British law, guaranteed by Articles 10 and
11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
· 
A Legislative Scrutiny Report published by the Joint Committee on
Human Rights called for key measures in the Public Order Bill to be
amended or removed in order to reverse the “chilling
effect” it is likely to have on the right to protest.
· 
This report found that these offences have a very wide scope and
criminalise those legitimately exercising their Article 10, 11, 8
and Article 6 rights.
· 
Some aspects of the Public Order Act 2023 have been criticised by
Amnesty International, Liberty, Equality and Human Rights
Commission (EHRC), and the UN Human Rights Commissioner.
· 
The Right to Protest is a fundamental pillar of democracy.
· 
The objective of a protest is to peacefully disrupt and agitate for
change, such as the anti-apartheid and Civil Rights Movement,
Women’s Suffrage, Gay Pride and workers’ rights.
· 
Baroness Casey’s Report into the Metropolitan Police Service
found that there was a deepening mistrust of the force which is
institutionally racist, sexist, homophobic and ‘broken',
compounded by a culture of denial and obfuscation.
· 
The Administration's ongoing work with the Metropolitan Police
Service, MOPAC and local Borough Commander on improving standards
through the Community Resilience Partnership and after the Casey
Report and City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Panel Child Q
reports.
· 
The co-production of a local action plan with Hackney communities,
the Met and the Council on improving trust and confidence.
 
This Council
resolves to:
 
· 
Work towards Hackney’s local action plan on policing includes
consideration of alternative ways to keep communities safe, and
community education on the Police, Sentencing and Crimes Act 2022,
and the Public Order Act 2023, so that Hackney residents are aware
of  their
rights.
· 
Refer local issues concerning the Right of Protest to the
Hackney’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety.
· 
Not agree to the deployment of Live Facial Recognition in Hackney
until the Council is satisfied that the potential benefits to crime
reduction will not lead to a further erosion of trust and
confidence in policing in Hackney.
 
 
Proposed by: Cllr Fajana - Thomas
Seconded by: Cllr Joe
Walker