CAMPAIGNERS encased statues of prominent social justice figures in prison bars today to challenge laws that criminalise protest.

Greenpeace activists imprisoned statues of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Millicent Fawcett outside Westminster, to highlight how they would fall foul of the government’s anti-protest laws if they were protesting today.

A new analysis by the group found that out of all the arrests made under the Terrorism Act since it came into force 24 years ago, almost half (2,100 out of 4,322) occurred in the last four months, predominately targeting people protesting the ban on Palestine Action.

Since the group was proscribed on July 5, police have carried out mass arrests of activists silently holding signs against the ban.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: “Calling peaceful protesters ‘terrorists’ is one of the most blatantly ridiculous and dangerous things this government has done. 

“Nelson Mandela was jailed for fighting apartheid, this lot would’ve called him a national security threat. When we criminalise protest, we don’t just attack activists. We attack democracy itself.”

The government has announced plans to hand the police new powers to impose conditions on protests through the Crime and Policing Bill. 

The powers would enable police to ban protests near religious buildings, essentially restricting protests in any urban area, and outlaw face coverings.

Plans are also in place to ban repeat protests, based on their “cumulative impact.” 

But campaigners highlight that it is the “cumulative impact” of protests by Fawcett, Gandhi and Mandela that achieved votes for women in Britain, an independent India and the end of South African apartheid.