Abolish PREVENT

Why #AbolishPrevent?
“Prevent” is a government program in Britain which creates a legal duty for millions of civil servants (including doctors, nurses and teachers) to monitor and report the lawful behaviour of all members of the public. It overwhelmingly targets the Muslim community, and results in the curtailing of people’s most basic rights. “Prevent” has been criticised by experts, academics, field-workers and others as “Islamophobic”, “Orwellian”, “toxic”, “counter-productive”, “a failed policy”, “the biggest threat to free speech”, “a cradle to grave police state”, “dividing, stigmatising and alienating”. Since the program's inception, CAGE has investigated the flawed underpinning and disastrous impact of Prevent, and calls for its complete dismantlement.
What they say about Prevent
PREVENT has been heavily criticised and rejected by academics, experts, field workers and community leaders from all walks of life. Disclaimer: Individuals and organisations below are not affiliated to CAGE.
By dividing, stigmatising and alienating segments of the population, Prevent could end up promoting extremism, rather than countering it.
Maina Kiai
UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of associationThis seems to be a totally inappropriate use of GP time which could be better spent looking after patients. It is completely disproportionate and a poor use of GP resources and time. It is effectively asking GPs to be a government intelligence agency.
Dr Maureen Baker
Chairwoman of the Royal College of General PractitionersOne is forced to contemplate a level of uncertainty that plainly risks a chilling effect on intellectual discourse and exchange, not to mention a deadening impact upon research into difficult contemporary questions.
Ken Macdonald QC
Warden of Wadham College at Oxford University and former director of public prosecutionsIf these issues [defining extremism] are left to securocrats then there is a danger of a drift to a police state.
Sir Peter Fahy
Former Police Chief Constable on defining extremismePREVENT is about the state forcibly getting involved when no crime has been committed