Nazi. Traitor. Scum. Political debate today

The insults hurled at politicians outside Parliament this week have been condemned by MPs. But where does the nastiness come from? And when should free speech become a crime? Tune into the TV news and you will often see journalists standing on College Green - just outside the Houses of Parliament - to report on the day's political drama. Since Brexit, seemingly permanent news tents have been set up there by mainstream media outlets. But this week, the park itself became the story. It started on Monday when the remain-voting Conservative MP Anna Soubry was giving an interview on College Green. She was interrupted by a group of pro-Brexit campaigners who chanted that she was a "Nazi". "This is astonishing. This is what has happened to our country," she said. Later, protestersPeople who complain publicly about something or call for change. surrounded and jostled her as she was making her way back to Parliament, calling her "scum" and a "traitor". The incident shocked many, but abuse of politicians is increasingly common - both online and off. Journalists are targeted too; this week The Guardian's Owen Jones posted a video of himself being followed and called a "liar" and a "traitor". Kay Burley from Sky News said that "vile, aggressive and intimidating" abuse has forced her to hire security. A group of 115 MPs wrote a letter urging police to deal with the "deteriorating public order" outside Parliament. In his own letter, House of Commons speakerIn the UK, an MP who is chosen to keep order during debates in the House of Commons and chose which MPs can speak. John Bercow said that the "regular coterie of burly white men" was particularly targeting women and ethnic minorities. The Metropolitan PoliceThe name of London's police force. says it is ready to "deal robustly" with any criminal incidents. But when does protesting become a crime? The 1986 Public Order Act states that "threatening or abusive words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour," can be a crime. Monday's incident would certainly count as disorderly and abusive. But Britain also protects free speech and the right to protest through the European Convention on Human RightsAn international convention to protect rights and freedoms in Europe. It was written in 1950 and entered into force in 1953.. Soubry herself has said she has "no problem with people protesting". It is a normal and healthy part of democracy. What is not healthy is when politicians are threatened with violence for their views. In 2016, the Labour MP Jo CoxThe MP for Batley and Spen from 2015 until she was murdered in June 2016 by a far-right terrorist. was murdered by an extremist who used the word "traitors" in court. Public disorder How much of this is our fault? It has become normal for politicians, newspapers and social media users to accuse others of betrayal and inhumanity. Social media is designed to create bubbles of people who agree with each other, who are then rewarded for vilifying their enemies. Now some of that abuse is appearing in real life. Are we all complicit? And what of free speech? The protesters were careful not to physically hurt Soubry. Should words ever be illegal? Is it about the way they are said? What counts as a reasonable protest, and what is simply a crime? KeywordsProtesters - People who complain publicly about something or call for change.