kill the bill; the UK government restricting the right to protest.

you've probably (hopefully) heard the phrase 'kill the bill' over social media platforms and being chanted at protests recently. so, here's some more information on the bill in question and why it needs to be spoken about.

the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill:

the uk government are rushing this bill through parliament, as to try and make sure that we don't have time to fully understand its implications on our fundamental right to protest. it gives police more power around protesting, so for example, they can now rule a protest as 'breaching police conditions' if it's too loud, lasts for a period of time they deem 'too long' or follows 'disruptive' routes. it’s so insane; the right to protest is a fundamental democratic right. it’s literally what democracy constitutes.

not only does this bill legalise this craziness, it also infringes upon traveller’s rights in the UK. groups of people who have been living in the UK for generations; and who have also been systemically discriminated against for just as long. this should violate so many rights and is just inhumane.

the bill also means that toppling a statue could land you 10 years in prison; longer than the minimum time for rape. especially in the current climate and even more so after the murder of sarah everard, this bill and what is stands for is offensive to women's rights and safety.

it's a weird notion to increase the police's power around protesting when police misusing power they already had are the reason we're protesting in the first place.  

look more into this bill, there's surely a lot more implications that we haven't quite clocked onto yet. the home office promised not to violate human rights with these new laws, but they've broken a lotta promises in the past.

k.