PROTESTERS could be forced to pay compensation for the disruption they cause under proposals in a review by the former Barrow MP.
Lord Walney, the former Labour MP John Woodcock, is due to publish a long-awaited report into political violence and disruption this week.
Individuals, businesses or institutions that could show they endured loss, distress or suffering from an illegal protest would be entitled to court-ordered compensation from activists, according to reports.
The measures could be used to impose financial costs on organisations like Just Stop Oil if they carry out acts such as blocking roads or disrupting businesses.
The review by Lord Walney is intended to increase the Government’s understanding of the increase in activity by far-right, far-left and other political groups and identify where activities can cross into criminality and disruption.
The peer has said he is concerned about the 'limited' police response to pro-Palestinian marches.
Lord Walney told Sky News: "I've been concerned over many months now that the police do seem limited in what they are able to do to balance people's right to protest with the cumulative impact of having marches through central London on a weekly basis.
"This is making substantial parts of the community, sizeable parts of our Jewish community in London, apprehensive at best about going into the centre of the city.
"That is a deeply uncomfortable position.
"There has been a substantial level of criminality and disorder and antisemitic content around the margins of the marches."
There were seven arrests as thousands of people marched in London on Saturday, including a man seen carrying a coffin with offensive language written on it and another leading a chant of 'intifada revolution'.
Scotland Yard said officers also arrested a 74-year-old man at a counter-protest on suspicion of provocation of violence.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Extremism of any kind has no place in our society and we will not tolerate tactics that set out to intimidate, threaten or cause disruption to the law-abiding majority.
“In recent months, we have also witnessed a small number of protestors display violent and hateful behaviour, and the police have our full support in tackling extremism and hate crime.
“We will consider the report’s final recommendations extremely carefully and will respond in due course.”
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