Prevent Watch

People's Review of Prevent

The People's Review of Prevent

The People’s Review of Prevent is an alternative review to the Government Shawcross Review.

This review provides a voice to the people most impacted by the Prevent Duty.
Prevent is described as ‘safeguarding’ children from harms. However, under Prevent, safeguarding is focused on protecting the wider public from children believed to be ‘risky’, rather than protecting children from harms.

Throughout our report we present case studies that show how real these harms can be and the distress they cause to children and their families and carers.

prevent training children UK
Cases

5Pillars: Schools attempt to put Muslim children in Prevent training “to spy on each other”

5Pillars has been told that two schools in the UK have been trying to put Muslim pupils under Prevent training, in order to effectively spy on each other. Prevent Watch, which monitors the government’s controversial counter-extremism programme, told 5Pillars that the schools, one in Birmingham and one in Slough, have been training, or attempting to train, their pupils in the Prevent strategy. All schools are required to deliver the Prevent duty and “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.” However, it has been assumed until now that teachers are responsible for delivering Prevent and this is the first time that we have heard of pupils themselves being trained to deliver the strategy. 5Pillars spoke to a 17 year old pupil at Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College in Birmingham, which has an overwhelming majority Muslim intake. The student told us that around a month ago his whole year group had

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News

UK venues could face legal duty to provide protection from terrorism | Politics | The Guardian

Home Office to consult on plan affecting owners of concert halls and shopping centres The owners and operators of businesses and public spaces such as concert halls, shopping centres and parks will be legally bound to protect such venues from terrorism under a new statutory duty proposed by the government. The so-called “protect duty” reflects proposals put forward by the family of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing attack in 2017. Home Office officials are to launch a consultation on legally forcing organisations to increase physical security at venues and train staff to respond to terrorist attacks, as well as putting in place incident response plans – and how failure to comply would be enforced. Source: UK venues could face legal duty to provide protection from terrorism | Politics | The Guardian

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News

Revealed: how teachers could unwittingly trigger counter-terror inquiries | UK news | The Guardian

Exclusive: leaked document shows Prevent strategy is more about monitoring extremists than safeguarding the vulnerable, campaigners say Teachers, doctors and other public-sector workers could unwittingly spark counter-terrorism inquiries when they seek advice about the government’s controversial Prevent strategy, sensitive documents seen by the Guardian reveal. A heavily redacted copy of the official policy framework for Prevent, the strategy designed to catch those at risk of committing terrorist violence, was released to the human rights group Liberty under the Freedom of Information Act and shared with the Guardian. The guidance, marked “Official, sensitive”, states that when public sector workers, who are legally bound to report concerns, contact Prevent staff for advice, “this may result in a referral” to the anti-radicalisation programme. Source: Revealed: how teachers could unwittingly trigger counter-terror inquiries | UK news | The Guardian

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News

The Guardian: Climate activists and animal rights groups referred to Prevent

Climate activists and animal rights groups have been referred to the counter-extremism programme Prevent, which part of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, the Home Office has admitted. Responding to a freedom of information request, the Home Office provided a breakdown of reasons behind referrals of individuals to its Channel programme, an arm of Prevent, for “other types of radicalisation”. Environmental and animal rights were among types of “concerns” identified among individuals referred, as well far-left extremism, Northern Ireland-related extremism, “anti-Isil” and Sikh-related extremism. Read more at The Guardian Related… ‘Scrap Prevent’ says Amnesty report (Report, 2023) State capture: The CCE as entryism for right-wing think tanks (News, 2023) Counter-extremism against civil society is having an unintended outcome (Expert View, 2023)

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News

Rebecca Long-Bailey vows to make it Labour policy to scrap Prevent | Politics | The Guardian

Leadership candidate says anti-extremism programme has alienated Britain’s Muslims Rebecca Long-Bailey has vowed to make it Labour policy to scrap the anti-extremism programme Prevent if she is elected to replace Jeremy Corbyn as party leader. The shadow business secretary said she wanted to ban the scheme and then conduct a review aimed at setting up a new government-funded system that involves Muslim leaders, in an effort to stop the “alienation” of Britain’s Muslim communities. Her suggestion goes significantly further than the 2019 Labour manifesto, which stated the party wanted to review Prevent. Source: Rebecca Long-Bailey vows to make it Labour policy to scrap Prevent | Politics | The Guardian

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News

Glasgow St Pauli fans demand club’s removal from police counter-terrorism guide – Glasgow Live

MP Patrick Grady has written to the Home Secretary, questioning the football club’s inclusion in the document alongside far-right and extremist groups such as Scottish Dawn and Britain First. Glasgow football fans have hit out after the club they support was included in a counter-terrorism guide circulated by police. FC St Pauli were included in a Counter Terrorism Policing document sent to teachers, medical staff and other public sector workers by Police Scotland under the UK-wide Prevent strategy, it emerged last month. The Bundesliga II team, based in Hamburg, has built a cult following worldwide since the 1980s for its pro-refugee and anti-fascist values. Source: Glasgow St Pauli fans demand club’s removal from police counter-terrorism guide – Glasgow Live

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News

Sayeeda Warsi accuses government of ‘hypocrisy’ over Islamophobia | Metro News

A former minister in the Conservative Party has accused the government of ‘hypocrisy’ after its refusal to adopt a definition of Islamophobia drawn up by an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). Baroness Sayeeda Warsi who was also a former co-chair, said the party’s stance on anti-Muslim hatred was not as strong or principled compared to the measures it had taken against anti-Semitism. Lady Warsi challenged ministers at question time in the House of Lords to recognise ‘the irony and the hypocrisy of the Government’s position in relation to Islamophobia’ as opposed to the principled stand the Conservative Party had taken when it came to allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.   Source: Sayeeda Warsi accuses government of ‘hypocrisy’ over Islamophobia | Metro News

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