Priti Patel wants to ban protest. Bill going through this week.

[flashbac]

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is some scary looking stuff. 10 year sentence for being at any protest that, amongst other things, causes or is at risk of causing 'serious annoyance'. That's all protests then is it?
The right to protest is the cornerstone of every democracy.
Aibu to be scared about where this is heading?

So I’m guessing that this bill will still pass no problem?

So we’re basically having the right to peaceful protest removed. This is absolutely shocking yet I expect most wont bat an eyelid.

It's incredible how much people passionately care about some boring royal 'scandal' that will affect absolutely nobody but the RF, and the press are all over that, but this proposal has about a zillionth of the coverage.

It’s almost as though the Meghan Markle vs the royal family stuff is being used as a distraction...

The hypocrisy and stupidity of Priti Patel is beyond a joke. Seeks to make protest illegal, demands the police enforce this law whilst simultaneously crying "but but look at those women" yes Priti its an outrage, but a situation of your making.

The police are being put in the impossible and untenable position of having to police public disorder, of enforcing Covid legislation but when doing so slated for it. Cresida Dick now is their target. What exactly is the Met supposed to have done in the circumstances it found itself last night.

I suspect that workers rights will be next along with changes to the law to make all and any strike action illegal.

These are not the actions of a state that has control, but a state that fears its people. This has been in the making for approximately 20 years and more recently the EU set up a think tank and a surveillance body to report on internal threats. Its long since been the case that political agitation could be dealt with under anti terror laws. The modern capitalist state has instituted a state of exception where the biggest threat to its security comes from within. As more of us find ourselves knee deep in debt, poverty and immiseration the state has little choice but to impose fascism.

I don't think the Megan story is being used as a distraction though. But I do think the Covid laws are being used as cover to erode civil liberties and to install fear beyond the normal fear of arrest. Its a very convenient time to try and pass this bill. Even I stop short of protesting because I'm now morally obliged to consider the health of others, and the narrative of "go protest and kill a granny" is quite persuasive.

So we’re basically having the right to peaceful protest removed. This is absolutely shocking yet I expect most wont bat an eyelid

It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.

Just following orders” is not a reasonable defence

Yeah I'm not excusing their behaviour at all. I think it's important there's some separation between govt departments as it stops power being so centralised. We're not benefitting from a full government here

The point about workers rights and the EU surveillance of internal political dissent is made because I don't want to give the impression that Brexit has anything whatsoever to do with the erosion of civil liberties. Brexit may have made it easier, but Brexit is not the cause, and the trend towards the state using violence internally to impose itself is not directly linked to Brexit.

Labour are voting against the bill, thankfully.

Labour are voting against the bill, thankfully

Which is great in principle but, given the numbers, will amount to sweet fa.

just been looking for a thread about this before starting my own- I won't know. I'm fxxxing horrified. I'm not a major protester, been to about 4 in my life, but as far as I understand it police will be able to intervene at any protest which becomes noisy (!)
Am pleased that Labour will oppose but am fairly incredulous that a few hours ago they were abstaining
Writing to my MP (again). He's a generally useless tory but has voted against the government a few times recently. What else can we do?

Priti Patel is a spiteful and awful person who up until recently was still publicly supporting the death penalty.

With Biden as POTUS signing in increased rights and welfare etc, the U.K. is on course to be the most right wing country in the West where you can’t even protest. Can’t believe people voted for this and continue to support this.

If the optics didn’t involve middle class white women being arrested, Labour would abstain and this bill would glide through because there’s a whole heap of people who have never understood Martin Niemollers poem ‘First they came for...’

Sorry for being a bit dim but why are they doing this? Are we not coming to an end of lockdown with restrictions easing somewhat in April? I thought with mass vaccinations comes some level of freedom given back. Is this a temporary measure or something that will be lifted once Covid restrictions end?

Not saying I agree with it, even in a pandemic you need protests, Sarah's vigil had every right to go ahead and it could have been properly organised and distanced if the police had just worked with the organisers.

David Lammy now saying Labour will vote against thank god

I am so pleased to hear this. Was beginning to think what was the actual point of Keir Starmer. I'm tweeting my Tory MP. He often goes with the government but not always. I doubt there will be enough Tory rebels but I feel the need to try

@damndorothea

Sorry for being a bit dim but why are they doing this? Are we not coming to an end of lockdown with restrictions easing somewhat in April? I thought with mass vaccinations comes some level of freedom given back. Is this a temporary measure or something that will be lifted once Covid restrictions end?

Not saying I agree with it, even in a pandemic you need protests, Sarah's vigil had every right to go ahead and it could have been properly organised and distanced if the police had just worked with the organisers.

it's nothing to do with the pandemic. They want to the end of protests full stop.

Kier Starmer is surrounded by poor advisors. If he had any political nous he would’ve instinctively known this Bill was undemocratic and sinister, yet he was ok to abstain until it was clear which way the wind was blowing.

Patel is only distancing herself from the police now as the pictures of middle class women getting the black man treatment are putting her Bill at risk. Even DM readers will be wondering whether they will be impacted. What if their kids get kettled, arrested and a criminal record at uni for protesting about tuition fees or something?

We also know none of these emergency Covid laws will be repealed once Covid is over.

What can we do - what stage is this at?

So I’m guessing that this bill will still pass no problem?

It's got to get through the Lords though - and I don't see how any of them could support this.

Sorry for being a bit dim but why are they doing this? Are we not coming to an end of lockdown with restrictions easing somewhat in April? I thought with mass vaccinations comes some level of freedom given back. Is this a temporary measure or something that will be lifted once Covid restrictions end?

This has got nothing to do with covid - they're not even pretending it has. This is a naked power grab, removing our democratic rights. The tories have been killing our democracy by a thousand cuts since 2016 and this is the latest.

10 years for protesting - how does that not make you a political prisoner?
How does this make us any different from the Chinese and their treatment of the people in Hong Kong?

It's an other small step towards an authoritarian state.

I think the British public needs to wake up to reality. There is no control over controversial political decisions now that we have left the EU.

That is horrendous. I agree that we can't comment on HK or China if this passes. It's barbaric

This doesn’t surprise me. The government have been watching with great pleasure the way in which a large proportion of the population have loved all the authoritarian measures that have been brought in as a response to covid. Look at all the many comments about locking people up for breaking a rule, refusing NHS treatment for rule breakers and for people who don’t want the vaccine. Virtually frothing at the mouth that U.K. lockdowns have been half hearted and should have been like China’s, they seem to love being told what they’re ‘allowed’ to do.

I think the past year has shown that the U.K. population really doesn’t care about free speech and human rights, if the government says it will keep them ‘safe’ they happily nod along to anything they’re told.

Sorry as I haven't rtft, but from your OP it sounds like they are talking about noise and disruption and nothing about the right to protest.

@oatmilk4breakfast MPs voting on it on Tuesday. Write to your MP asap. Share amongst your peers.

@mellongoose
Sorry as I haven't rtft, but from your OP it sounds like they are talking about noise and disruption and nothing about the right to protest.
I'm sorry but this is very naive thinking. How can you protest without noise?
The wording is a very thinly veiled way to ban protest.

Im equally appalled that this hasn't been picked up on in MSM

This is Ian Dunt's take on it which is useful for those who would like to know more
www.politics.co.uk/comment/2021/03/11/silencing-black-lives-matter-priti-patels-anti-protest-law/?cmpredirect

Well I suppose it depends where you want to protest. Protesting is different from causing disruption and I suppose they are trying to make a distinction.

I'm sorry but I don't agree they are stopping the right to protest.