A video shared by X user Alastair Hilton showing two police officers approaching him in a London pub over an alleged protest outside a councilor's home. The video sparked debate in the comments about free speech and the UK's new protest laws.
The footage was shot outside the Bell and Crown pub about a protest that had reportedly been planned outside a local councilor's residence.
When Hilton shared the video on X, he claimed that the interaction was intimidation. During the exchange, one officer repeatedly said that he was not accusing Hilton of organizing a protest and was merely informing him about the law. "Are you aware that if you schedule a protest outside the councilor's house…" the officer says. So Hilton then cuts him off and says that he had not scheduled any such demonstration.
The officer then referenced Section 162 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and asks whether Hilton is aware of the legislation. Hilton rejects the explanation and accuses the officers of using fear tactics.
"That's literally what it is," he says in the video.
I am having a drink this evening with a friend in a Chiswick pub. Two policemen have just come into the pub and asked me to step outside. I have stepped outside and they have threatened me because I tweeted about a councillor banning seating outside pubs in Chiswick. They admit… pic.twitter.com/r7MDIIdgvc
— Alastair Hilton (@London_W4) July 2, 2026
At another point, he tells the officers: "You're being used as a hard man to scare. That's what you're being used as."
The conversation escalated when Hilton recounted an incident in which his daughter allegedly had a window smashed while sleeping on her boat. He claims police did not respond to the incident and that he now experiences officers showing up to speak to him in the pub. "You only come out to threaten," he says.
The video spread quickly on X, accumulating more than 2 million views by the time of publication. "Did the same person who banned the pubs call the police?" a user wrote. Another user criticized the interaction: "Hope you're ok. Intimidation. Public humiliation. And a waste of precious police resources."
"This is a classic Stasi-style shakedown to intimidate you… " We are watching," another commenter wrote.
This is the beginning of the end Alastair ! Orwell warned us and we took no notice
— Nik Boyle (@NikBoyle) July 2, 2026
Several users also referred to "thought policing." Hilton agreed with many of the criticisms and described it as "intimidation."
Others, however, suggested that officers may have been carrying out their duties by informing someone about a law concerning protests outside politicians' homes. For clarity, Hilton has not been arrested or charged in connection with any protest related to the video.
