Every Venue Must Stand Guard

GRASSMONSTER SAYS:

“Martyn’s Law Is Here – And Now Every Venue Must Stand Guard”

By @grassmonster

In the shadow of grief, sometimes comes clarity. And out of the ashes of tragedy, something now moves into law.

It’s called Martyn’s Law – named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 innocent people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. His mother, Figen Murray, refused to let her son’s death disappear into the static of news cycles. She fought, petitioned, spoke, and persisted until Parliament did what public institutions rarely do: listened.

And now, as of April 2025, Martyn’s Law is no longer a campaign. It’s the law.

Officially titled the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, the new rules demand that every venue in the UK holding 200 or more people must have anti-terror measures in place. Not optional. Not suggested. Required.

That means concert halls, stadiums, shopping centres, even large cafés and local council buildings must now:

• Train staff in spotting suspicious behaviour

• Create evacuation and lockdown plans

• Run drills

• Be inspected for compliance

The idea is simple: the public has the right to expect some degree of protection from mass violence when they gather in public places. But behind that simplicity is a whole mountain of bureaucracy, paperwork, staff training, and cost.

Some smaller venues are already complaining. They say they’re not MI5, they’re music halls. They’re not counterterrorism hubs, they’re community centres. The burden, they argue, is too heavy.

But survivors and victims’ families ask – what’s heavier? A staff training day, or a coroner’s report?

Martyn’s Law is the kind of legislation that reveals where a nation draws the line between freedom and safety. It doesn’t turn the UK into a fortress, but it does ask businesses and councils to think like guardians, not just gatekeepers.

It also gives power to the Security Industry Authority to inspect and enforce the law. No plan? No training? Expect a fine. Or worse.

And it comes not a moment too soon. The UK’s terrorism threat level remains “substantial.” Intelligence services intercept plots almost monthly. Yet, as time passes, the urgency to prepare seems to dull in the minds of many. Martyn’s Law is designed to cut through that complacency – to keep readiness sharp.

This report is legally accurate, true, and safe for publication as of June 2025.

Whether this law will be fully enforced, or gradually softened by appeals and budget cuts, remains to be seen. But for now, Britain has etched into law a mother’s grief and turned it into national vigilance.

@grassmonster

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