Thought people in Oxford, especially animal rights activists, would want to see the statement below by Evan Harris MP. Surely 'economic damage' is a hugely sweeping term which could be used to curtail any protest that stops trading in any way?

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Animal Rights extremists could face prosecution for causing economic loss to
researchers, under proposals put forward by Oxford MP Evan Harris.

Dr Harris, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said new
legislation was needed to combat the growing problem of violent intimidation
which has held up plans for a new research laboratory at Oxford University.

MPs yesterday began to study the details of the Government's Serious
Organised Crime Bill, which creates a new offence of causing distress by
protesting outside people's homes. It also allows police to use injunctions
to prevent protesters returning and widens the scope for arrests.

Dr Harris is proposing an amendment which would create a new offence of
economic sabotage, so that intent to cause financial loss to the research
industry would become a criminal offence.

He told a committee of MPs scrutinising the legislation: "This is a major
problem, not only for the individuals concerned but also for economic
reasons. There are concerns that research and development investment may
well drop because this country is no longer a civilised place to do this
business."