Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said new police powers to restrict the use of face coverings will be used in Portsmouth today as officers work to keep people safe during a planned protest in the city.
Following the riots in Portsmouth last weekend, the force stressed that powers under section 158 of the Crime and Policing Act 2025 prohibit the wearing of face coverings intended to conceal a person’s identity during protests, while a section 60AA order will also apply to the same area, giving officers the power to require people to remove items such as masks or face coverings used to conceal their identity, where failure to comply could lead to arrest.
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo also said: “Where a minority of people are attempting to take advantage of a situation to cause violence and disorder, we will rightly use all our police powers to protect the local community, as well as the rights of others to peacefully protest.
“We listen to the concerns of our communities and know how scared they are when they see masked groups attacking their neighborhoods.
“That’s why we’re using these new police powers to ensure we have all the tactics at our disposal should we need them.
“It is important to emphasize that this right will apply to any groups participating in the protest and will be applied equally and impartially.
“Let me be clear: these powers are not being used to prevent protests, but to prevent crime and disorder while making communities feel safer.
“We will support those who want to express their views peacefully and legally, but we will not tolerate those whose sole purpose is to spread fear and incite violence.”