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Government officials are planning to grant police new powers to target ongoing protests, specifically aimed on cracking down against Gaza-related demonstrations, as stated by the Home Office.

Recent Arrests and Planned Changes

This declaration comes the morning after nearly 500 people were detained in the capital for showing solidarity for Palestine Action, a banned entity. The new measures could enable authorities to instruct frequent demonstrations to be moved to alternative locations.

Shabana Mahmood, will also review all anti-protest laws, with the possibility to strengthen powers to prohibit certain protests outright.

Planned Legal Changes

Under the planned powers, the Home Secretary will implement swift changes to the existing public order legislation, allowing law enforcement to consider the "combined effect" of ongoing demonstrations. Specific details will be released "in due course", according to the announcement.

Should a demonstration has caused what officials called "ongoing disruption" at the identical location for several consecutive weeks, authorities would gain the authority to order organizers to move the gathering elsewhere, with participants who fail to comply facing arrest.

Broader Examination and Public Safety

The Home Secretary added that she would "also review existing legislation to guarantee that powers are sufficient and being uniformly enforced", including law enforcement authorities to prohibit certain protests entirely.

"The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our nation. Nevertheless, this freedom must be weighed with the right of their neighbours to go about their daily lives without fear," Mahmood said.

"Frequent, sizable demonstrations can cause certain communities, especially faith groups, feeling unsafe, threatened and fearful of going out. This has been especially noticeable in relation to the considerable fear within the Jewish community, which has been communicated with me on many occasions during these challenging times."

"These measures mark an significant move in ensuring we protect the right to protest while making certain all feel safe in this country."

Recent Situation and Law Enforcement Reaction

The broader powers seem targeting both large-scale pro-Gaza demonstrations, which took place in London and some other cities over a series of weeks, and gatherings organized to back the proscribed organization.

On Saturday, police detained approximately 500 individuals at the latest similar demonstration. The event occurred despite government officials, among them senior figures, asking that it be postponed following this week's tragic incident on a Jewish place of worship in the northern city.

Police Viewpoint

After Saturday's protest, the chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation commented that officers policing demonstrations in the capital were "emotionally and physically exhausted".

"This cannot continue. Our focus should be on keeping people safe at a time when the country is on heightened alert from a terrorist attack. Yet officers are being pulled away to manage these continuous demonstrations," the federation chair stated.

Further Legislative Measures

This development come after protest-related provisions in the crime and policing bill currently going through parliament, which prohibits the possession of face coverings or pyrotechnics at protests, and criminalises the scaling of certain war memorials.