Closed petition: Require protesters and police to be easily identifiable during protests

Closed on 2 June 2026

We want Parliament to require protesters to not cover their faces at protests and to ban police from covering badge numbers to ensure both protesters and police can be easily identifiable. We believe this ensures accountability for violence or excessive force, protecting peaceful, lawful protest.

While the Crime and Policing Bill addresses protester face coverings only when senior officers designate it, we believe it ignores police accountability. This petition calls for consistent rules without requiring designation of individual protests. Masked protesters can commit violence without consequences, while police covering badge numbers could face no accountability for excessive force. This requirement could protect peaceful protesters and the public from misconduct. Legitimate religious, medical, or weather coverings should remain permitted.