Faith leaders, including the Revd Fiona Bennett, Moderator of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, have criticised the proposed Public Order Bill.
If passed, the Bill, being debated in Parliament on 30 January, will criminalise ordinary citizens who engage in peaceful protest.
The leaders argue that it has no place in modern British society.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the faith leaders said: “Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is of the utmost importance to faith and belief groups across the United Kingdom.
“Protest has always been an essential part of putting faith and belief into practice. In a climate of rising intolerance and discrimination, from antisemitism and islamophobia to sexism and racism more broadly, religion and belief communities have always been at the forefront of tackling such injustices.
“The Bill undoubtedly presents a profound threat to the values and practices of faith and belief groups, and could result in members of faith and belief groups facing fines, prosecution, and even imprisonment for putting their beliefs into practice.”
The letter follows on from faith leaders’ objections to aspects of the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Act in the last parliamentary session.
Read the letter in full here.
Image: Ethan Wilkinson/Unsplash.