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Geoff Pearson

@profgeoffpearson.bsky.social

1.3K followers 340 following 150 posts

Prof of Law at Manchester University. Socio-legal research interests in human rights, policing, public order, crowd management, football "hooliganism", Ethnography, and sports law. Currently on research leave.

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Political science 47%

Sociology 29%

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Reposted by Geoff Pearson

David Mead @seethingmead.bsky.social · 4h

A letter from @crwerren.bsky.social @suzmd.bsky.social @storiesfromjack.bsky.social and me on the plans to allow cumulatively disruptive protests to be regulated by the police

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Anti-protest proposals put free speech at risk | Letters

Letters: Readers respond to the proposal to give police further powers to curb ‘cumulative’ protests, in response to actions by the proscribed group Palestine Action

www.theguardian.com

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 5h

You'll need to check your Strength Statistics and roll lower on 1 D20 to achieve that move I'm afraid.

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 1d

Even putting aside the continued repression of free speech by the current UK Government, what could possibly go wrong with this idea, eh?
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Starmer targets inflammatory chants at Palestine protests for further curbs

PM says Labour will address suggestions of antisemitic hate as he orders review of protest policing powers

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Patrick Dunleavy, Marina Jirotka, Elizabeth Stokoe , and 3 more Patrick Dunleavy, Marina Jirotka, Elizabeth Stokoe, Lee Jones, Geoff Pearson, Christina Pagel

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 4d

She was arrested for holding a sign reading:

“I do not support the proscription of Palestine Action”

How that would warrant arrest is very unclear. I wonder if the police here even understand the boundaries of the bizarre law they’ve been forced to enforce.

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 4d

The police don't need *more* powers to make peaceful
protest criminal. They need *sensible* lawmaking - laws that are actually enforceable without regular mass arrest. There is a currently a crisis of legitimacy in policing, and mass arrest of grannies and vicars for holding placards isn't helping.

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 4d

(1) Police can already take into account cumulative effect - restrictions on repeat disruptive protests are more likely to be proportionate. (2) Vast numbers of DefendOurJuries protesters have been arrested. It's made future protests more, not less, likely.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Police to get new powers to crack down on repeated protests, says Home Office

Move follows arrest of almost 500 people at latest pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on Saturday

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Geoff Pearson

Netpol @netpol.org · 4d

The Home Office sham "consultation" on cumulative protests closed on 29 September, so this immediate announcement shows Labour had already decided – yet again – to expand public order powers, well before the Manchester attack that is now used to justify it
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Police to get new powers to crack down on repeated protests, says Home Office

Move follows arrest of almost 500 people at latest pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on Saturday

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Wolff, Martin Paul Eve, Melanie Simms , and 1 more Jonathan Wolff, Martin Paul Eve, Melanie Simms, Geoff Pearson

profserious @profserious.bsky.social · 4d

Here are your 10 -essential- AI prompts for academics ... make your life easy with help from @profserious.bsky.social profserious.substack.com/p/10-ai-prom...

10 AI Prompts for Academics

making those hard jobs a little easier ...

profserious.substack.com

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 6d

Reposting this in light of the debates about requests for the postponement of tomorrow's Defend our Juries protest. And a reminder that police forces have considerable discretion about how to manage peaceful but unlawful forms of protest.

Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · Sep 7

A tale of two protests. If you hold up a banner saying ”I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” the police reaction will be quite different in London and Edinburgh. Good analysis by @xanderelliards.bsky.social

What it was like as Police Scotland let a Palestine Action protest go ahead silently

AROUND 100 protesters defied Labour’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group in a silent protest outside the UK Government offices in…

www.thenational.scot

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 7d

Staggeringly inept. And it would have been really useful with this Government to have had a competent Opposition.

George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 7d

Kemi Badenoch saying “the last time I checked, Northern Ireland did vote to leave” is so on-brand it hurts. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Kemi Badenoch mistakenly says NI voted in favour of Brexit

In a BBC NI interview, the Tory leader said the

www.bbc.co.uk

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 7d

Left without comment www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Police ask for protest against Palestine Action ban to be postponed after Manchester attack

Exclusive: Organisers say protest will go ahead as planned and it is up to Met whether or not it prioritises arrests

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Colin Murray, Anand Menon , and 2 more Steve Peers, Colin Murray, Anand Menon, Geoff Pearson, Pam Jarvis

George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 7d

Kemi Badenoch saying “the last time I checked, Northern Ireland did vote to leave” is so on-brand it hurts. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Kemi Badenoch mistakenly says NI voted in favour of Brexit

In a BBC NI interview, the Tory leader said the

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Juanjo Medina

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 7d

The most shocking aspect of this latest Met police scandal are the incidents occurring in a custody suite, despite the legal frameworks, leadership structures, and high levels of surveillance and supervision. It sounds more like a pre-PACE
environment. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Secret BBC filming exposes hidden culture of racism and misogyny inside Met Police

Panorama undercover investigation captures evidence that

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Steve Peers, Stephen Ryan, Geoff Pearson

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 9d

"I hope Starmer wakes up tomorrow morning and feels ashamed about what he has done," says man who unveiled this poster the day Jo Cox was assassinated by a far-right terrorist.

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 10d

Terrifyingly, it was 30 years ago this week that I delivered my first lecture. I was module leader for Foundations of Law, just over 2 years after flunking the same module as a first year undergrad. No teaching training, no observation, just "here's a book and some white board pens, and off you go".

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 14d

Anyone buying one of these things pre Halloween deserves the choking, stabbing, or electrocution hazard it will inevitably produce when the clock ticks to midnight.

Reposted by Margaret Mitchell, Michael Wagner, Peter Thorne , and 8 more Margaret Mitchell, Michael Wagner, Peter Thorne, Peter Schöttler, Julia M. Wright, Jason Lyall, Daryl Adair, Geoff Pearson, Simon Lester, Pam Jarvis, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 14d

OBAMA: It's fair to say that 80% of the world's problems involve old men hanging on who are afraid of death and insignificance, and they won't let go. They build pyramids, and they put their names on everything. They get very anxious about it.

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Reposted by Geoff Pearson

Dr Guy Baldwin @guyjbaldwin.bsky.social · 14d

Campus looking very scenic as another academic year at the University of Manchester Law School (@uomlaw.bsky.social) begins!

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Reposted by Geoff Pearson

Alan Greene @alangreene.bsky.social · 14d

The first of my Coffee Time Constitutional Law video series is now available. This is aimed at students of Public Law as well as anybody wanting to learn more about the UK Constitution.

More videos will follow in this series ASAP. I promise!

youtu.be/9W37_ece4Bg?...

Does the UK Have a Constitution?

YouTube video by Dr Alan Greene

youtu.be

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 15d

Lampposts *are* watching us and I've not once died of Covid. The Aston Villa thing however is ludicrous.

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 15d

I have just read an official report from an NDPB which based its findings on <10 interviews and half a dozen surveys. Suddenly feeling a lot more bullish about my own research and that of the PGRs I am supervising.

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 6 more Cas Mudde, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Cathy N. Davidson, Alan Richardson, Geoff Pearson, Ann Bartow, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Peter Sterne @petersterne.com · 16d

More from the Suffolk University poll: www.suffolk.edu/-/media/suff...

Do you support or oppose "defund the police"?
Support - 21%
Oppose - 74%

Would you support or oppose cutting some of the police budget and using the money for social services?
Support - 54%
Oppose - 41%

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Reposted by Geoff Pearson, Andrew Novak

Steve Cockburn @stevecockburn.bsky.social · 16d

“Sporting bodies must not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalise injustices.”

UN experts call on FIFA and UEFA to expel Israel from international football, citing occupation and genocide.

www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

UN experts call for suspension of Israel from international football amid unfolding genocide in occupied Palestine

GENEVA – UN experts* today called on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend Israel as a country team from interna...

www.ohchr.org

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Reposted by Siniša Malešević, Adam Crawford, Geoff Pearson , and 1 more Siniša Malešević, Adam Crawford, Geoff Pearson, Sofia Stathi

Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre @vp-centre.bsky.social · 20d

🚨 Job opportunity 🚨

We're looking for an ambitious, impact-focused Research Fellow to join @vp-centre.bsky.social.

The role is full-time and fixed-term until 30 April 2027.

Salary: £41,064-£48,822
Based at: @universityofleeds.bsky.social
Deadline: 13 October 2025

jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Research Fellow, Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre

Are you an ambitious, impact-focussed researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have a research interest in policing and vulnerable groups, the interactions between them and other service pro...

jobs.leeds.ac.uk

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 21d

On the rattler across the pennines to @lawatleeds.bsky.social for today's '25 Years of the HRA' event. I will be presenting on Policing and the Human Rights Act.

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 21d

So this is by no means a criticism of #LOFC, but the fact this has to go through the SAG is crazy. For 0.5% beer. Now I failed GCSE Chemistry, but my layperson's understanding is that your average burger bun contains about 1.2% alcohol! fsm-online.co.uk/leyton-orien...

Leyton Orient To Trial Non/Low Alcohol Matches In Level 1 Construct North Stand - Football Stadium Management

Leyton Orient are set to take part in a brand‑new, four‑match trial in the Level 1 Construct North Stand, where supporters will be able to take non and low‑alcoholic drinks to their seats. Leyton Orie...

fsm-online.co.uk

Reposted by Steve Peers, Geoff Pearson

Reposted by Steve Peers, Tobias Lock, Patrick O’Brien , and 9 more Steve Peers, Tobias Lock, Patrick O’Brien, John L. Cotter, Ben Worthy, Tom Griffin, Rory O’Connell, Aoife O’Donoghue, Geoff Pearson, Colm O’Cinneíde, Paddy Hillyard, Markus W. Gehring

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 23d

A new Explainer out from @aoifemod.bsky.social and me detailing the UK's ECHR commitments under the 1998 Agreement in response to recent speculation. It is short, because there is very little to say - the UK's obligations are evident on the B/GFA's plain text:

caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...

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Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 27d

I haven't read it yet but will assume you are suggesting merging Celtic and Rangers :-)

Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · Sep 7

As the ludicrous decision to proscribe Palestine Action continues to play out with depressing predictability, a reminder that UK police forces still have considerable discretion when it comes to enforcing offences, and Human Rights focused approaches to policing protest are still possible.

Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · Sep 7

What it was like as Police Scotland let a Palestine Action protest go ahead silently

AROUND 100 protesters defied Labour’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group in a silent protest outside the UK Government offices in…