Protesters take to streets to oppose Police Bill
PROTESTERS took to the streets across Wales as part of a UK-wide opposition to the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Hundreds gathered in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Newtown to oppose the legislation which – among other things – will create stricter laws around protests.
The Bill is set to be voted on in the House of Lords later today.
The anti-protest measures in the new Bill provide police with the power to ban marches and demonstrations viewed to be “seriously disruptive”, which can include being too noisy.
Demonstrators gathered on streets across Wales, joining protesters in cities all over the UK, including Bristol, London, Liverpool, Manchester and Plymouth, to defend their rights.
Extinction Rebellion activist David France said: “These may have been some of the last legal protests we see in England and Wales.
“Boris Johnson’s Government knows they’re too corrupt to stay in power legitimately – just look at the party fiasco – so they’re basically breaking democracy so they can continue to profit from their positions, regardless of public opinion. This is how a democracy turns into a dictatorship, and the only thing that will stop it is the collective will of all of us.”
Signs from those gathered read: “Defund the police”, “Save our right to protest”, and “Democracy & freedom of speech is under attack”.
The 300-page Bill makes a wide variety of changes to the justice system in England and Wales, from tougher sentences for killer drivers to provisions allowing court appearances over video conference.
Many aspects of the Bill have caused controversy, including the expansion of police powers to deal with protests, more stop-and-search, and laws about encampments that critics say will persecute Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in the UK.