ACTIVISTS will take to the streets again today to protest a controversial police bill.
Kill the Bill campaigners are due to meet in Victoria Gardens in Brighton at 12:30 p.m. to protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, to coincide with a debate in the House of Commons today.
The protesters say they are taking a “police brutality walking tour” and are heading to specific locations in the city where acts of violence are believed to have been committed by police officers.
These include Victoria Gardens, where police held and handcuffed a woman during a vigil for Sarah Everard in March.
Some criticized the force for its “heavy-handed” approach after video of the incident was released.
A spokeswoman for Kill the Bill Brighton said: “The people of Brighton and Hove will continue to protest and oppose the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill until that it be rejected by Parliament.
TODAY at 12:30 p.m.!
From Victoria Gardens to #Brighton, a walking tour of police brutality.#KillTheBill #NoisyAndAnnoying pic.twitter.com/JiooNpm2DH
– Kill Bill Brighton (@KillBillBton) June 24, 2021
“We oppose this bill because it poses a huge threat to all of our communities and our civil liberties. If this bill passes, it will give police unprecedented powers and end the right to protest in the city. UK.
“The people of our city will not accept this authoritarian posture of the government of Boris Johnson.
“We are against the police bill, against police brutality, against the prison state, against misogyny and racism – and to demand a future where we all have the right to protest, a future where we are all safe.”
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would mean police could impose more restrictions on protests, including start and end times and noise limits.
These conditions would apply to a single person organizing an event, as well as to groups.
Protesters refusing to comply could be fined up to £ 2,500, according to the proposals.
Currently, the police must show that a demonstration could cause “serious public disturbance, serious material damage or serious disruption in the life of the community” in order to impose restrictions on a demonstration.
In addition, damage to memorials, including statues, could result in up to ten years in prison.
The government said the bill would allow police to take a “more proactive approach” to dealing with “highly disruptive” protests known to cause public unrest.
The bill has sparked widespread protests across the country since its introduction to Parliament, with scenes of violence in Bristol earlier this year.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-24 10:08:37
