Shabana Mahmood has urged law enforcement to clamp down on far-right and anti-migrant demonstrations she said showed “obvious malign intent”, following a weekend in which balaclava‑wearing vigilantes caused widespread disruption.
In a meeting with senior officers on Thursday, the home secretary told police to make “full use” of their powers to prevent disorder, explicitly citing the use of restrictions such as bans on face coverings. The instruction came after incidents over the weekend in which officers were assaulted and port operations in Kent and Hampshire were disrupted.
The interventions follow a pattern of confrontational street activity by groups opposed to migration, with authorities facing the dual task of protecting public order and upholding the right to peaceful protest. Mahmood’s comments signal a push from the centre of government for a more assertive policing response to those she and officials regard as operating with malign intent.
Police forces now face decisions over how to apply existing powers on public order, including the use of dispersal orders and conditions on assemblies, as they seek to prevent further assaults and infrastructure disruption. The home secretary’s direction to make “full use” of those powers underscores the government’s expectation that forces act swiftly to deter and disrupt similar actions in future.