The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 has recieved most publicity for it's ban on unauthorised protests within 1 km of Parliament - widely accepted to have been devised to end the peace protest of Brian Haw.
 
Brian Haw has maintained a five year protest against the war on Iraq opposite the Houses of Parliament but, in May this year, the police began dismantling his site.
 
Maya Evans and Milan Rai were arrested at the Cenotaph on Whitehall for reading out the names of UK soldiers and civilians killed in the war in Iraq.
 
It is unacceptable that security laws should be used to protect Parliamentarians from legitimate protest. This is a significant attack on our traditional rights to free expression and assembly.
 
SOCPA also makes all offences arrestable, meaning that protesters who might previously have received a warning, could now be arrested.
 
It widens ASBOs, by allowing unaccountable bodies to seek them against individuals, and creates a new criminal offence of trespass on a 'designated site' on grounds of national security. 'National security' is not defined, which risks the new offence being used against protesters.
 
Specific provisions were also brought in against animal rights protesters. The crime of 'economic sabotage' not only extended the criminalisation of violent and unlawful protesters, but was so broadly drafted as to make criminals of many peaceful protestors who were simply calling for boycotts.