‘A right to protest’
Extinction Rebellion Newbury takes a stand against ‘crackdown’ bill
MEMBERS of Extinction Rebellion Newbury have been peacefully protesting… to protect their right to peacefully protest.
Several members of the group turned out to demonstrate against the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is designed to give the police and UK Government more powers to crackdown on protests in England and Wales.
The group said members “took a stand to raise awareness of the erosion of our rights”.
The bill, which is 300 pages long, contains a number of new measures to increase sentences for child killers and other violent criminals, toughen penalties for attacks on police officers and change sexual offences legislation to tackle abusive adults in positions of trust.
But the most controversial part of it will reform the rules on political protests and police will be handed new powers to control the length of protests, impose maximum noise levels and prosecute activists for causing “serious annoyance”,
Extinction Rebellion Newbury said the bill contains “sweeping and arbitrary powers to criminalise protest”.
To voice their displeasure, members held protests in their gardens, at Newbury Police Station and outside the office of Newbury MP Laura Farris prior to the vote taking place.
However, despite opposition from the public and on both sides of the House, the bill passed by 359 votes to 263 on the evening of March 16.
Extinction Rebellion Newbury member Claire Willsher said: “Silencing those groups may have serious consequences in the fight for social and environmental justice
“Protests are inherently disruptive – repressing demonstrations deemed ‘unjustifiably disruptive’ or ‘annoying’ is to repress the very essence of what it means to protest.
“Protest is our last opportunity to draw attention to issues where the science, petitions, letter writing and asking nicely have been ignored. Last year, many joined in the peaceful protests in Newbury to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This legislation will outlaw these protests if someone found them ‘annoying’ or too ‘noisy’ and protesters would face 10 years in prison for the crime of expressing their views.
“Let’s not forget this legislation will impact all protest across the political spectrum – whether you are marching for gay rights, a NHS pay rise, A-level grades to be remarked, pro- or antiBrexit, or pro- or anti-hunting – all of these could potentially be affected.
“Potentially this legislation would lock up the Suffragettes, Martin Luther King and Greta Thunberg.
“We took a stand to raise awareness of the erosion of our rights.
“The freedom to protest is a cornerstone of a free democracy. A society in which people cannot be heard because the law stifles protest is one in which frustration and fury will build, to the detriment of all.”