Event Summary

Westminster Insight is delighted to announce its timely, multi-agency Managing Protests and Public Order Conference, taking place in London this Autumn.

The Government has, recently, highlighted a concerning rise in disruptive and dangerous tactics during protests. The new Crime and Policing Act 2026 gives the Police new powers designed to enable them to stop ‘disorderly behaviour and keep the public safe’. It aims to balance the rights of protest with the right, of others, to go about the day without disruption or alarm.

Chaired by Clifford Stott MBE, Professor of Policing and Research, at the Open University, and with an opening panel which includes Lord Macdonald of River Glaven Kt KC, Chair of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation, our expert-led practical event will look at the new powers and address key questions. How do you decide when a protest is legitimate?  How do the Police strike the right balance?  Should the Police be accountable for what constitutes too much protest?

The UK is experiencing its biggest political shifts in decades. There has also been a growth in politically motivated hate.  Additionally, there are continued pressures on the cost of living, and employment, and much dissatisfaction, caused by a continual onslaught of negative news and challenging world politics. There have been high profile issues, such as water shortages.

Against this backdrop, the increase in marches, protests, and riots are gaining momentum. Our event will focus on practical strategies to prepare for and keep protests well managed. Learn, from joint sessions, how services can work together, to both prevent escalation and deal with riots effectively, if they do happen.

Communication is key: between colleagues and agencies; with the public, and those participating in public events and protests; and with communities.  Practiced specialists and experts will share insights on how to communicate effectively and work together, and how to successfully engage with your community, to share vital information and intelligence.

We will also spotlight, through case studies, and lessons learnt, how to handle social media. How do we avoid the spread of disinformation and disinformation? How do we stop protests being intercepted? How do we prevent major incidents becoming catalysts for riots? Our specially selected cross-cutting panels will look at the issues and provide practical insights.

Community is a key part of effective policing. How do you effectively manage major events, ensuring that you keep the community on side. How do you use the opportunity, whether it’s a festival, a musical event, or a protest, for positive engagement with the public, and use such occasions to build positivity and trust with the public, while keeping everyone safe?

Please join us, at our collaborative, thoroughly researched conference. Gain key insights into the new legislation. You will learn from innovative strategies, focussed case studies, and senior expert spotlights. Engage with peers, practitioners, and specialists, from the Police, and blue light services, communities and local government, transport, venues, and much more.

Key Points

  • Hear about the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation.
  • We will focus on how to balance safeguarding the fundamental human rights of free speech and peaceful protest and protecting the public from escalating disorder.
  • Learn about really effective intelligence gathering: what factors do you need to establish a reasonable belief that the protest may result in a serious public disorder?
  • Gain insights into local risks and the importance of community context.
  • Hear about planning the management of protests and big events; and how to manage competing demonstrations and protests happening simultaneously.
  • Understand how to stop peaceful protest turning into riots: crowd control psychology.
  • We will look at enhancing capacity to monitor and respond to social media at the national level: how do we stop the spread of misinformation and disinformation? How do we use this to gather information on forthcoming protests?
  • Hear about the importance of place-based policy making in building cohesive communities; and the value of a dialogue-based approach to policing protests
  • We will discuss top down, versus bottom up, training and the importance of stress-testing through realistic exercising.
  • Learn about the impact of disruptive protests and hate crime on community cohesion.
  • Venues, retail outlets, large gatherings: have things changed since the Pandemic? With no major events for approximately two years, what has this meant for the safety of venues, and high streets, for example, and their resilience to crowds and protests?
  • In terms of health and safety, whose responsibility are protests and riots? Do venues, etc., rely too heavily on the Police, and whose responsibility should it be?

Sponsorship

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Group discounts

Contact us for group rates.