Police powers over meetings, processions and gatherings. 11. (1) Any police officer may prevent the holding of, stop or disperse any public meeting or public procession which is required to be licensed under section 7 and is not so licensed or in regard to which any condition of a licence issued under section 7 is being or has been contravened.
(2) Any police officer of or above the rank of inspector may—
- (a) prevent the holding of, stop, disperse or vary the place or route of any public gathering, other than a public meeting exclusively for religious purposes, whether or not the public gathering is required to be or is licensed under section 7; or
- (b) stop or disperse any public meeting exclusively for religious purposes or any meeting convened or held in any premises or place which is not a public place or any gathering or procession of persons whatsoever or wheresoever,
if the same is causing or is in his opinion likely to cause or lead to a breach of the peace.
(3) For the purpose of exercising the powers conferred by subsections (1) and (2), respectively, a police officer and a police officer of or above the rank of inspector may give or issue such orders as he may consider necessary or expedient, and such police officer and any other police officer may—
- (a) use such force as may be necessary to prevent the holding of, stop or disperse, as the case may be, the public meeting, public procession, public gathering or other meeting, gathering or procession of persons; and
- (b) enter any premises or place whatsoever in which any meeting is taking place or any persons are gathered.
(4) If a police officer of or above the rank of inspector has reason to believe that a public meeting or public procession which is required to be licensed under section 7 and is not so licensed is likely to take place or form in any public place, he may cause access to that public place and to any other public place adjacent thereto to be barred and to be closed to the public or to any person or class of persons for such time as may be necessary to prevent the public meeting or public procession taking place.
(5) The closure of any public place under subsection (4) shall be notified by means of notices exhibited, or physical barriers erected, at the places of access thereto, or by oral public announcement in the vicinity thereof, or in such other manner as the police officer aforesaid may think fit.
