New police protest march panel launched

Police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings set up the Independent Policing Protests Advisory Panel to work with South Yorkshire Police in planning protests and marches.

It follows a series of 21 demonstrations by far-right and other groups over the past four years, many of them connected to the Rotherham grooming scandal.

The panel will be chaired by Andrew Lockley, chairman of the Independent Ethics Panel, who will be supported by Abdul Khayum, Chair of the Minority Communities Panel, Sahir Ali and Renata Atkins, both members of the Minority Communities Panel, Michael Lewis and Linda Christon, both Independent Ethics Panel members, and Cllr Saghir Alam, Rotherham Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services.

The Panel will convene to provide advice to South Yorkshire Police when a group indicates it will be protesting on any issue within South Yorkshire. 

Members will support the Force by offering comment on proposals for handling the event and work with them in advance of any protest, as well as being in attendance to observe on the day and helping to learn lessons from the event and make recommendations for managing future protests. 

Dr Billings said: “The members that have been appointed represent a cross-section of our communities from across South Yorkshire and I expect them to be able to bring knowledge and expertise to make recommendations regardless of the objective of the planned protests.”