Under the cover of 'FREEDOM' Day the Police Bill was passed that bans your right to protest

[flashbac]

Without the right to protest we're screwed. 365 MPs voted for it.
If this isn't the path to fascism I don't know what it is.

It will be tougher on unauthorised camp sites for gypsies and travellers. Not sure that that's a bad thing.

the basis that they're making a noise that makes one person feel uneasy
This sounds familiar - oh no, it's if one person perceives a comment as racist or anti gay.

@CatherineCawood

Hong Kong anyone. Nightmare.

Quite!

Bloody hell, I hadn't spotted it has got through.
It won't stop me from protesting when the cause is something important to me - but I'd really rather not be criminalized for exercising a democratic right.

Well having had a look it doesn’t stop you protesting, it’s just tightening up to stop violence/ make violence illegal

This isn't just about Extinction Rebellion though is it. Making protest unlawful because it makes noise or might annoy means the government can do what the hell they like. Given they are doing what the hell they like already it makes you wonder what else is in store for us plebs. Complete NHS privatisation? (not via back door like now.)
Employment laws removed? Could be anything and we will be criminalised for showing resistance.

It's a big leap from banning protests that harass or intimidate innocent people to assuming we're going down the route of a fascist state.

Why should people have the right to prevent others from going about their daily business in peace? Why should someone have the right to disrupt public transport or block roads?

Most importantly, why should my right to shout about and intimidate people over a certain cause trump their right to not give a fuck?

Peaceful, quiet, not-disruptive protests will still be allowed. This bill is a good thing, because protestors will have to persuade people that their cause is just. Better that than scaring them into agreeing with you.

@ChainJane

It's a big leap from banning protests that harass or intimidate innocent people to assuming we're going down the route of a fascist state.

Why should people have the right to prevent others from going about their daily business in peace? Why should someone have the right to disrupt public transport or block roads?

Most importantly, why should my right to shout about and intimidate people over a certain cause trump their right to not give a fuck?

Peaceful, quiet, not-disruptive protests will still be allowed. This bill is a good thing, because protestors will have to persuade people that their cause is just. Better that than scaring them into agreeing with you.

This! Agreed as long as trouble makers and rioters are banned but not those that wish to raise a public point of disagreement or concern in a non violent or aggressive manner which speaks volumes compared to rent a mob anarchists. This is a still democracy so ideally make your point with your legal electoral prerogative if only there are new more agreeable political choices. It’s either the current incompetent and corrupt elected politicians but with vaccines (provided by scientists) or a mix of indifferent other political parties with no clear messaging to provide a credible alternative other than possibly being less corrupt if given the opportunity?

To the two posters above, it must be nice to trust the police and people who have power over you.

There are countless tales of protests turning violent after police have used force.

I assume this is to stop rent a mob, not peaceful protests

@flashbac

To the two posters above, it must be nice to trust the police and people who have power over you.

There are countless tales of protests turning violent after police have used force.

I personally of course do trust the police but however as highlighted in numerous high profile cases there are indeed bad apples within the police service. I have no reason to distrust the police as I have and always will uphold the law and indeed instil respect and appreciation on the next generation too. We have too much unwarranted hate and aggression for no tangible reason other than perhaps people looking different or having different opinions. We either have law and order or we have jungle cave man dysfunctional lawless anarchy. I prefer the former. I was in fact a bit concerned and indeed agreed with some of the initial issues raised by ecology (XR) and diversity equality (lives matters) protests until they lost me in the two wrongs make a right excuse for a riot. As long as the police is not corrupt nor politicalised and you are not a serial criminal - what’s the issue with respecting the police to keep us safe and lock up trouble makers? Police should only resort to proportional force to defend themselves, innocent bystanders and protect public property not to fight with rioters when attacked by criminals. Rioters should be removed and brought to account using the law and suffer the consequences for their criminality. I speak as someone who previously suffered criminal damage to my property during past London race riots. Surreal scenes as if a movie set bad and still brings back worrying issues witnessing police (including female officers) being too passive and so attacked by mobs.

I have been caught up in a so called 'peaceful protest'. I was out shopping with an elderly relative when we encountered this protest. Bottles were being thrown at police, abuse being shouted, we were very scared. I really dont think this type of thing is good at all.
I later read some were given a prison sentence. Good and throw away the key

@VeganVeal

I have been caught up in a so called 'peaceful protest'. I was out shopping with an elderly relative when we encountered this protest. Bottles were being thrown at police, abuse being shouted, we were very scared. I really dont think this type of thing is good at all. I later read some were given a prison sentence. Good and throw away the key

So the police already had powers to prosecute those who got violent so why do they need more powers? They are trying to put people law abiding people off that's why.

@ChainJane

It's a big leap from banning protests that harass or intimidate innocent people to assuming we're going down the route of a fascist state.

Why should people have the right to prevent others from going about their daily business in peace? Why should someone have the right to disrupt public transport or block roads?

Most importantly, why should my right to shout about and intimidate people over a certain cause trump their right to not give a fuck?

Peaceful, quiet, not-disruptive protests will still be allowed. This bill is a good thing, because protestors will have to persuade people that their cause is just. Better that than scaring them into agreeing with you.

Well it depends who deems it peaceful.

20 hippies sat on the grass waving flowers about or 4000 people walking down the street in a non aggressive way, holding banners about taxs/cuts/womens rights ect..

Well thats gonna piss some one off isn't it.

Both have a right to be there.

I just can't believe so many people are happy to wave good bye to their rights so easily. People fought hard unpleasant fights to get what we had, now so many people are sat on their arses enjoying those hard won rights they are happy to wave good bye to the very thing that won the - protesting.

This site gets more and more like the daily mail every day.

Try reading something other than labour propaganda. These all seem like entirely sensible proposals

www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-factsheets/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-protest-powers-factsheet

[quote StMarysKettle]This site gets more and more like the daily mail every day.

Try reading something other than labour propaganda. These all seem like entirely sensible proposals

www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-factsheets/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-protest-powers-factsheet[/quote]
I have already read that actually but without any rose tinted glasses.

This bit particularly stood out:
Ensure vehicular entrances to the Parliament Estate remain unobstructed

Hmm

Some people wouldn't see the onward march of fascism even if it bit them on the arse.

@ FaceyRomford I think you’ll find the poll tax riots were pretty successful.

Ensure vehicular entrances to the Parliament Estate remain unobstructed

The rationale for that particular measure is to ensure democracy can continue without interference. Do you object to that, OP? What do you perceive to be the problem there?

Rubbish. Nobody ever changed anything by marching through the streets. Protest marches are one of the most pointless exercises ever dreamt up by the human brain

If that were true, why is the government putting in some very draconian laws to limit/prevent them?

Because this is what this bill will do, the threat of 10 years in jail, is a far higher jail sentence than anything the Chinese have used on HK protestors

Always a good way to make your argument, comparing a democratically elected government that can be thrown out at the next election, to a totalitarian country.

@Takingthewee

Rubbish. Nobody ever changed anything by marching through the streets. Protest marches are one of the most pointless exercises ever dreamt up by the human brain

If that were true, why is the government putting in some very draconian laws to limit/prevent them?

Because this is what this bill will do, the threat of 10 years in jail, is a far higher jail sentence than anything the Chinese have used on HK protestors

They're introducing a maximum sentence. Honestly have you even done a little bit of research into this? Or just read the link from the Labour website and immediately taken it as gospel?

The threat of 10 years in jail makes a difference in terms of deterring protest otherwise why impose it as a maximum?
Sleepwalking into totalitarianism.
And don't bet on getting rid of this lot next election. Not with voter ID coming in and more data surveillance and targeting of voters with bullshit in the same way vote leave was done.

They're introducing a maximum sentence. Honestly have you even done a little bit of research into this? Or just read the link from the Labour website and immediately taken it as gospel?

No have Labour got a website?
What message does that sort of sentence send to would be protestors?

I did note that whilst keen to protect statues, the Government weren't so keen to protect women from violence, allocating just 90m to councils for more refuge's (despite tory policies cutting them over the last 10 years) and not the 380m councils were calling for.

All kinds of awful stuff is happening quietly under the cover of Covid. I just read about how the government is slipping through a new oil rig in the North Sea (Cambo?) that is not allowed under international climate change treaties. Have not heard anything in the news.