This Council notes:

·            That the right to protest is a fundamental cornerstone of liberal democracy.

·            Under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others.

·            In recent years, this Conservative Government has passed legislation which significantly restricts the right to peaceful protest.

·            In 2022 the Government passed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act, which gave police the power to impose noise-based restrictions on protest; to impose restrictions on public assemblies; and created the offence of wilful obstruction of the highway.

·            In 2023 the Government passed the Public Order Act, which gave the police powers to criminalise locking-on & being equipped for locking-on; interfering with major transport works; interfering with key national infrastructure; and powers to carry out suspicion-less stop and search related to protests.

·            The Government has now successfully passed a statutory instrument to introduce a new definition of ‘serious disruption’, so that the police will be given the power to impose restrictions on protests if they think that it could result in “a hindrance that is more than minor to the carrying out of day-to-day activities”.

·            Numerous national and international figures have spoken out against this clamping down on protest, including five UN Special Rapporteurs, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and former senior police advisors.

·            In March, the UK was downgraded in the Civicus Monitor, an annual global index of civic freedoms, as a result of the government’s “increasingly authoritarian” drive to impose restrictive and punitive laws on public protests.

This Council further notes:

·            The right to protest is being restricted at a time when this Conservative Government is passing authoritarian laws against migration, failing to adequately tackle climate change, and failing in its responsibility to protect refugees and asylum seekers.

·            People resort to protest when they feel that their concerns are not being heard through more traditional means, such as by raising issues with and through their political representatives.

·            Residents in our city are rightly concerned about the situation in the Middle East, its impact directly on people in our communities and upon community relations, and the rising tide of incidents of both antisemitism and islamophobia.

·            That the UK, and communities within the UK have the right and the duty to speak out and to take steps that can bring pressure to bear towards a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the free flow of humanitarian aid and creation of space for dialogue towards a lasting settlement.

·            Scotland Yard reported in February 2024 that “The vast majority of those joining Palestinian protests have done so in a lawful and peaceful way.”

·            A YouGov Poll co-commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestine highlighted overwhelming level (71%) support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

·            That in a response to Rishi Sunak’s speech on 1 March 2024, Amnesty International’s Racial Justice Director said “The threat to impose yet more restrictions on people’s right to peacefully protest is deeply worrying and suggests the Government is determined to silence those who may disagree with its policies. This is entirely in line with the chaotic patchwork of legislation and sweeping policing powers we have seen introduced in recent years.”

This Council believes:

·            That when public opinion is not reflected by the actions of politicians it results in citizens responding through public protest in order for the collective concern to be heard.

·            That the Prime Minister’s speech is also fuelling the rise in Islamophobic hate crime as reported by Tell MAMA who recorded a 335% increase in anti-Muslim hate cases, comparing the last 4 months to those in 2022/2023

This Council therefore resolves to:-

(1)      Engage with the Greater Manchester Police to understand how they are upholding the right to peaceful protest.

(2)      Work with community and civil society campaign groups in Manchester to support their right to protest.

(3)      Write to the Home Secretary in opposition to the Government’s severe restriction of the right to protest.

(4)      Encourage all Politicians and political parties to educate themselves in the role that politicians play in challenging hateful rhetoric against Muslim and Jewish communities.

(5)      Support all of Manchester’s elected members to attend the protests that are calling on an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza.

Proposed by Councillor Abdullatif, seconded by Councillor Bayunu and supported by Councillors Johnson, Nunney and Wiest.

Councillor Abdullatif submitted the following motion, which was seconded by Councillor Bayunu: -

This Council notes:

·            That the right to protest is a fundamental cornerstone of liberal democracy.

·            Under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others.

·            In recent years, this Conservative Government has passed legislation which significantly restricts the right to peaceful protest.

·            In 2022 the Government passed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act, which gave police the power to impose noise-based restrictions on protest; to impose restrictions on public assemblies; and created the offence of wilful obstruction of the highway.

·            In 2023 the Government passed the Public Order Act, which gave the police powers to criminalise locking-on & being equipped for locking-on; interfering with major transport works; interfering with key national infrastructure; and powers to carry out suspicion-less stop and search related to protests.

·            The Government has now successfully passed a statutory instrument to introduce a new definition of ‘serious disruption’, so that the police will be given the power to impose restrictions on protests if they think that it could result in “a hindrance that is more than minor to the carrying out of day-to-day activities”.

·            Numerous national and international figures have spoken out against this clamping down on protest, including five UN Special Rapporteurs, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and former senior police advisors.

·            In March, the UK was downgraded in the Civicus Monitor, an annual global index of civic freedoms, as a result of the government’s “increasingly authoritarian” drive to impose restrictive and punitive laws on public protests.

This Council further notes:

·            The right to protest is being restricted at a time when this Conservative Government is passing authoritarian laws against migration, failing to adequately tackle climate change, and failing in its responsibility to protect refugees and asylum seekers.

·            People resort to protest when they feel that their concerns are not being heard through more traditional means, such as by raising issues with and through their political representatives.

·            Residents in our city are rightly concerned about the situation in the Middle East, its impact directly on people in our communities and upon community relations, and the rising tide of incidents of both antisemitism and islamophobia.

·            That the UK, and communities within the UK have the right and the duty to speak out and to take steps that can bring pressure to bear towards a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the free flow of humanitarian aid and creation of space for dialogue towards a lasting settlement.

·            Scotland Yard reported in February 2024 that “The vast majority of those joining Palestinian protests have done so in a lawful and peaceful way.”

·            A YouGov Poll co-commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestine highlighted overwhelming level (71%) support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

·            That in a response to Rishi Sunak’s speech on 1st March 2024, Amnesty International’s Racial Justice Director said “The threat to impose yet more restrictions on people’s right to peacefully protest is deeply worrying and suggests the Government is determined to silence those who may disagree with its policies. This is entirely in line with the chaotic patchwork of legislation and sweeping policing powers we have seen introduced in recent years.”

This Council believes:

·            That when public opinion is not reflected by the actions of politicians it results in citizens responding through public protest in order for the collective concern to be heard.

·            That the Prime Minister’s speech is also fuelling the rise in Islamophobic hate crime as reported by Tell MAMA who has recorded a 335% increase in anti-Muslim hate cases, comparing the last 4 months to those in 2022/2023.

This Council therefore resolves to:

(1)    Engage with the Greater Manchester Police to understand how they are upholding the right to peaceful protest.

(2)    Work with community and civil society campaign groups in Manchester to support their right to protest.

(3)    Write to the Home Secretary in opposition to the Government’s severe restriction of the right to protest.

(4)    Encourage all Politicians and political parties to educate themselves in the role that politicians play in challenging hateful rhetoric against Muslim and Jewish communities.

(5)    Support all of Manchester’s elected members to attend the protests that are calling on an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza.

Councillor Rahmanmoved anamendment tothe motion,which wasseconded by Councillor Butt, as follows: -

This Council notes:

·            Manchester has a long history of supporting the right to protest. The Peterloo Memorial in Manchester is a recognition of this city's strongly held belief in the democratic right of residents to assemble and to protest peacefully, confidently and loudly about the issues that matter to them. This right is protected under the European Convention of Human Rights.

·            Conservative governments have always sought to restrict the right to protest. Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, at Amnesty International has gone on record to say that this Conservative government "has been hellbent on passing a whole raft of anti-protest legislation in recent years and this latest addition just stands alongside an already absurdly long list of ways that the fundamental human right to peaceful protest is being muzzled”

·            The Conservatives have been restricting the right to protest through the 2022 Police, crime and Sentencing Act and the 2023 Public Order Act, alongside recent actions to impose new restrictions.

This Council further notes:

·            The right to protest being restricted is seen as an easy, short-term win by Conservative politicians, at a time when this Conservative Government is passing authoritarian laws against migration, failing to adequately tackle climate change, and failing in its responsibility to protect refugees and asylum seekers.  

·            Residents in our city are rightly concerned about the situation in the Middle East; witnessing the tragic loss of innocent lives- and this tragic situation is having a direct impact on people in our communities and upon community relations, and is reflected in an increasing number of incidents of both Antisemitism and Islamophobia.

·            This Council issued a united cross-party call in November 2023 for peace in Israel and Palestine; a sustained ceasefire on all sides, the release of all hostages, free flow and access to humanitarian aid, and efforts to secure a lasting peace

This Council believes:

That the recent remarks by senior Conservative MP's, Suella Braverman, Liz Truss, Lee Anderson (now defected to Reform UK) and indeed the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, himself have highlighted a deep entrenched anti-Muslim prejudice in the Conservative party. Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative peer, has said that Sunak needed to "find the language" to "call Islamophobia Islamophobia"

This Council therefore resolves to:-

(1)    Continue to work with Greater Manchester Police to continue to ensure they are upholding the right to peaceful protest.

(2)    Manchester Councillors have a long history of supporting and attending peaceful protests, including many in recent months. We will continue to work with community and civil society campaign groups in Manchester to support their right to peaceful protests including those that are calling for the UK government to work for a permanent ceasefire on all sides, the immediate release of all remaining hostages unharmed, support an increased flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and for an international effort to bring about the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, allowing Israel and Palestine to exist safely within their own borders.

(3)    Write to the Home Secretary in opposition to the Government’s severe restriction of the right to peaceful protests.

(4)    Write to the Home Secretary to request that he holds an independent review into the severe challenge of anti-Muslim prejudice in the Conservative party and to adopt the APPG definition of Islamophobia adopted by the Labour Party in 2019.

(5)    All Manchester's Elected Members to promote engagement with the city's interfaith leaders, especially our Muslim and Jewish faith and community leaders to come together at this difficult time and to pledge their support to create a safe and tolerant community in which Manchester residents feel comfortable to practice their faith and culture without threat of violence or prejudice.

Councillor Abdullatif indicated that she had agreed to the amendment and that the amended motion would be the substantive motion to be considered.

The amended motion was put to the Council as the substantive motion and the Lord Mayor declared it to be carried.