Social distancing plea for Kill the Bill protest
A PROTEST against the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is set to take place in Derby today, as one of dozens of events planned nationally over the Easter weekend.
A number of local campaigning groups have said they will be taking part in the protest, which is set to be held on Cathedral Green.
Protesters are expected to gather from 1pm, but organisers are keen to ensure Covid safety measures are in place for the event.
Among the local organisations taking part are Derby Stand up to Racism and the city’s Extinction Rebellion group, which have both posted on their social media pages to urge their followers to join the protest.
Sue, a spokeswoman for Derby Stand up to Racism, says social distancing and mask wearing will be encouraged in order to keep attendees safe during a peaceful gathering.
Sue, who did not want to provide her surname, said: “The event on Saturday does not really have an organiser but is an ad hoc coming together of several groups and individuals.
“The aim is to highlight and protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently before parliament.
“Many people believe that this bill will, if passed, severely curtail the democratic right to protest, right to roam and potentially criminalise traveller communities.
“The right to protest is a cornerstone of the democracy that parliament purports to uphold and any ‘chipping away’ at it is incredibly worrying.”
Environmental campaigning group Extinction Rebellion Derby posted on its Twitter and Facebook page to encourage those taking part to “wear a mask” and “maintain social distancing” during a “peaceful” protest.
The Facebook post, posted this morning goes on to say: “The right to peaceful assembly and protest are fundamental principles of any democracy and the proposed part of this bill that gives the police new powers to tackle disruptive peaceful protests should be removed from the Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
“Why is a non-violent protest regarded as disruptive? Protests are a fundamental right to our society and have been through history. It is how policies have been challenged and changed in the past.
“Without them, you are effectively saying nobody has the right to peacefully challenge anything. If people feel the need to protest then the Government should listen and not be shutting down this legitimate way of people voicing their concerns and opinions. This is a dismantling of our civil liberties.”
The new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is set to give the police greater powers to respond to public protests. The wide-ranging proposals, as part of efforts to overhaul the justice system, cut offending and make streets safer, also include laws to reform sentencing, the courts and handling offenders.
Several protests against the Government’s bill have taken place across the country recently, most noticeably in Bristol, where angry clashes saw several police officers and protesters injured.