https://action.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/page/92606/action/1?ea.tracking.id=email1&ea.url.id=5820356&forwarded=true
UPDATE on the Gment 'anti protest and encourage the police to be violent against its citizens' Bill In a huge victory yesterday, the House of Lords voted to remove one of the worst anti-protest measures from the Government’s Policing Bill. The Government wants to give police the power to shut down ‘noisy’ protests. Noise is at the very heart of protest – it is literally how we make ourselves heard. The Lords has rejected this plan, meaning our elected MPs have the chance to get rid of it for good next week.
We’re so close to defeating this undemocratic proposal. Email your MP to help save the right to protest today.
EMAIL YOUR MP →
Protest is a core pillar of our democracy, but the Policing Bill risks criminalising people who take to the streets for a cause they believe in, from racial justice campaigners to people trying to save their local library.
In January, the House of Lords removed some of the worst measures from the Bill, but the Government reinserted police powers to crack down on protests that are ‘too noisy’.
Considering the noise of a demo may be the result of the number of people attending, it’s likely that the largest protests that really demonstrate the strength of feeling on an issue will be prime targets.
The trigger for using the power is that police reasonably believe the noise may (so doesn’t need to actually) “have a significant and relevant impact on persons in the vicinity”. This is immeasurable.
And the “relevant impact” can include causing “serious unease, alarm or distress”. This could lead to ridiculous situations where, for example, police shut down kiss-ins protesting homophobic establishments, if they “reasonably believe” it “may” make someone nearby feel “uneasy”.
This proposal is a clear attack on the fundamental right to protest and must be stopped.
The House of Lords has played its part in protecting our democracy by removing this plan from the Bill for a second time. MPs can now get rid of it for good on Monday 28 March.
Use our simple tool to email your MP today.
Thank you for your support
Thank you again,
Jodie Beck
Policy & Campaigns Officer
https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Libertys-briefing-on-the-Governments-amendments-to-the-PCSC-Bill-protest-November-2021.pdf https://action.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/page/92606/action/1?ea.tracking.id=email1&ea.url.id=5820356&forwarded=true
UPDATE on the Gment 'anti protest and encourage the police to be violent against its citizens' Bill In a huge victory yesterday, the House of Lords voted to remove one of the worst anti-protest measures from the Government’s Policing Bill. The Government wants to give police the power to shut down ‘noisy’ protests. Noise is at the very heart of protest – it is literally how we make ourselves heard. The Lords has rejected this plan, meaning our elected MPs have the chance to get rid of it for good next week.
We’re so close to defeating this undemocratic proposal. Email your MP to help save the right to protest today.
EMAIL YOUR MP →
Protest is a core pillar of our democracy, but the Policing Bill risks criminalising people who take to the streets for a cause they believe in, from racial justice campaigners to people trying to save their local library.
In January, the House of Lords removed some of the worst measures from the Bill, but the Government reinserted police powers to crack down on protests that are ‘too noisy’.
Considering the noise of a demo may be the result of the number of people attending, it’s likely that the largest protests that really demonstrate the strength of feeling on an issue will be prime targets.
The trigger for using the power is that police reasonably believe the noise may (so doesn’t need to actually) “have a significant and relevant impact on persons in the vicinity”. This is immeasurable.
And the “relevant impact” can include causing “serious unease, alarm or distress”. This could lead to ridiculous situations where, for example, police shut down kiss-ins protesting homophobic establishments, if they “reasonably believe” it “may” make someone nearby feel “uneasy”.
This proposal is a clear attack on the fundamental right to protest and must be stopped.
The House of Lords has played its part in protecting our democracy by removing this plan from the Bill for a second time. MPs can now get rid of it for good on Monday 28 March.
Use our simple tool to email your MP today.
Thank you for your support
Thank you again,
Jodie Beck
Policy & Campaigns Officer
https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Libertys-briefing-on-the-Governments-amendments-to-the-PCSC-Bill-protest-November-2021.pdf