Protest under COVID-19, 2 November Update

New COVID-19 regulations are now in force in Scotland.

The new regulations are due to remain until the end of March, so it’s worth getting your head round them.

As well as setting out the restrictions on informal gatherings for different local authorities, the regulations also include new powers for police and local authorities to enter people’s homes if it’s deemed an “urgent” Coronavirus risk.

Exemptions that allow protest gatherings to breach the better-known limits on informal gatherings still exist, but are more guarded than in previous versions of the regulations.

For example, processions (i.e. moving marches) are now explicitly banned at all levels and “organised activities” such as protests are banned at “Level Four” – although at time of writing no Local Authority has yet been placed at level four, so how this effects in reality is unknown. Organisers are now required to adapt events to assist with physical distancing, although there is no requirement for organisers to obtain details for track and trace.

Read our full guide and download the poster here.

SCALP is keeping an eye on developments including how police are behaving at demonstrations under the new rules and the threat of putting Scottish Government travel advice into law. Get in touch with us if you have any tip offs.

SCALP