Protests and Marches - Letting the Police Know

By law you must tell the police in writing six days before a public march if you are the organiser.

Tell the police the:

  • date and time of the march 

  • route 

  • the names and addresses of the organisers 

The police have the power to:

  • limit or change the route of your march 

  • set any other condition of your march 

If you arrange a march at short notice, you must still tell the police as soon as you can.

The police can also:

  • change the location 

  • limit how long a rally lasts 

  • limit the amount of people who attend 

  • stop a sit-down protest if it blocks road traffic or public walkways 

If there is no march involved

If there is no march organised as part of your protest, you do not have to tell the police.

For further information on protests and marches - letting the police know can be found on GOV.UK's website.