Protect your right to protest
Not many people are talking about the government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. But if it passes parliament, it will have an impact on all our lives.
The bill gives unprecedented powers to the police to ban peaceful demonstrations outright and to ban ‘noisy’ protests. The definition of a noisy protest includes a protest involving noise made by just one person.
It’s been revealed the Police Federation was not consulted on this huge extension of police powers. Furthermore, a respected group of former police officers has expressed concerns.
In a letter to the Home Secretary they said: ‘Echoing the concerns voiced by the National Police Chiefs Council and other professional bodies, we believe this Bill has dangerous and harmful implications for the ability of police officers to enforce the law and for the health of our democracy as a whole.’
If the next time a group of residents, or even a single resident, wants to protest against a housing development or a council decision, the police could just say ‘no’. If any other readers are worried at the prospect of their right to protest being curtailed, I would encourage them to write to their MP and ask them to oppose this repressive legislation. Or they could support organisations like Unlock Democracy which are campaigning against the Bill.
Anni McArthur, by email.
Tha cuid gam breith ann am beartas, agus tha cuid eile air an tèid mòrachd a bhuileachadh.
Ach tha daoine ann cuideachd air an tèid uallaichean a bharrachd a chur nach eil iad ag iarraidh, agus ris nach eil iad fiù ’s air chomas dèiligeadh.
Thig leithid sin de dh’uallach glè thric ri linn briseadh slàinte ann an dachaigh, agus dleastanas cùraim a’ tuiteam air ball eile den teaghlach ann am priobadh na sùla. Chan eil faclan agam a nì moladh gu leòr air feadhainn as aithne dhomh a ghabh leithid sin de dh’uallach agus a choilean e gu dìleas, dìcheallach, agus gun ghearain. Bha mi a’ beachdachadh air an uallach a bharrachd a thathas ag iarraidh a chur air dotairean-teaghlaich gus barail a thoirt air freagarrachd dhaoine cead a bhith aca gunna a chumail.
Gun teagamh sam bith dhearbh murt brònach chòignear ann am Plymouth am feum air smachd nas teinne air ceadan bhall-airm, oir ’s e sin a th’ annta, a bhith aig daoine.
’S neònach mur eil iomadh dotair a bhios a’ faireachadh mì-thoilichte mun uallach a bharrachd seo a dh’fhaodadh tuiteam orra. Bidh iad mothachail gum bheil dleastanasan sìobhalta oirnn uile a thaobh ar modh-giùlain agus theagamh gum bi cuid de na lighichean a’ faicinn na h-uallaich seo mar phàirt den dleastanas phearsanta sin aig euslaintich ga sparradh orrasan.
Cuin is càite an còir uallach phearsanta tighinn fo smachd chuideigin eile, leithid dotair-teaghlaich? Tha fios gum bheil cuid a’ dràibheadh nuair ’s dòcha nach eil an cuid fradhairc neo buadhan eile tuilleadh freagarrach, ach chan eil beachd dotair ga iarraidh, fhathast co-dhiù, nuair a tha cead-dràibhidh ga ùrachadh.
’S e fìrinn na cùise gum bheil dotairean cho dripeil san àbhaist ‘s nach eil iad a’ faicinn dhaoine ach nuair a thèid iad thuca le trioblaid àraid, agus ged a thèid dèiligeadh ri sin, chan eil ùine gu bhith aig an dotair beachd a ghabhail air am bheil an neach sin comasach a bhith a’ dràibheadh, gun ghuth air am bheil a shlàinte-inntinn freagarrach airson smachd a bhith aige air gunna!
Bha mi uair nam mhanaidsear aig companaidh a bha a’ toirt seirbheis chruinn-togail ann an gnìomhachas na h-ola agus tuigidh sibh an t-uallach a bh’ oirnn a thaobh an dà chuid sàbhailteachd nan uidheaman a bha sinn a’ cleachdadh, agus comasan nan daoine a bh’ againn gan obrachadh.
Thill fear a dh’obair an dèidh a bhith dheth le trom-inntinn agus cha robh adhbhar againn gun a leigeil air ais a’ dràibheadh crann. Ach an ceann seachdain neo dhà thoisich gearain a’ tighinn bhon chompanaidh dha robh sinn ag obair agus dh’iarr iad an duine seo a thoirt far an làraich sa bhad.
Mhol stiùiriche an roinn sgiobachd againn an dràibhear a chur às obair air sgàth ’s gun robh trioblaid inntinn air, ach mar a chuir mise na shealladh bha pàipear aig an duine seo le beachd dithis de phrìomh lighichean-inntinn na dùthcha a’ dearbhadh a chuid cèille! Cha robh leithid sin de phàipear aig a h-aon seach aon againne!