Home Secretary James Cleverly has announced plans to propose new measures that would criminalize anyone who climbs on war memorials. This would potentially result in a three-month prison sentence and a £1,000 fine for offenders. Cleverly described the act of scaling remembrance sites as ‘an insult’ that ‘cannot continue’. This initiative comes in response to incidents where pro-Palestine protesters have climbed on war memorials in London.
Currently, climbing on war memorials is not considered a criminal offense, and there have been cases where demonstrators have climbed these structures without legal repercussions. Cleverly’s announcement follows last year’s incident where protesters climbed on the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London.
The proposal aims to prevent such acts from occurring in the future by making it a specific public order offense to climb on war memorials. The Home Office believes that this measure will prevent protesters from disrespecting the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives for the country.
The new directive is intended to give police greater authority to maintain order and peace during protests. It will be introduced as an amendment at the report stage of the Criminal Justice Bill in the House of Commons as part of a wider plan to address public disorder at demonstrations. This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that peaceful protests can continue while safeguarding the dignity of war memorials.