We must not remove the right to protest

I HAVE been very concerned that contributors who would declare themselves upholders of law and supporters of the ‘party of law and order’ have been content to turn a blind eye to this government’s law breaking.

There have been many incidents; the illegal proroguing of parliament, the threat of breaking international law over the Northern Ireland Brexit agreement and attending illegal parties at No 10. Mr Johnson has constantly tried to change the rules from the re-writing of the ministerial code to his contortions trying to protect the position of Owen Patterson and his refusal to sack any colleague found wanting.

Now we have the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are hard won and the right to protest is fundamental to a healthy democracy This bill would outlaw ‘noisy’ protests, how is this defined, I wonder and, Mr Mercer, I am still unsure how you spot a potential anarchist.

Imagine a government that you did not agree with, how would you feel if your right to challenge them publicly was illegal? I think we have enough examples across the world to answer this question.

Of course there will always be the old chestnut; if I have nothing to hide I am happy to be stopped by police. That argument has been challenged by numerous examples affecting minorities and the tragedy of Sarah Everard, a victim of a serving policeman.

We all have the responsibility to uphold law and order but removing the right to protest is very troubling.

Our democracy is very precious. My constant concern about Mr Johnson, ever since his election victory, is that he has refused to abide by standards and conventions (and the rule of law) that we all need to recognise and respect.

Catherine Pickles

Buckfastleigh, Devon