Meeting Tonight!

At last week's Steering, we thought our next campaign should be to oppose the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - or elements of it. Obviously we are restricted at the moment, through Covid rules (and clearly the Bristol protest turned into an unwelcome riot) but we feel we should have a statement on our front page and try to work with other organisations to get this bill defeated. I said I'd draft something and await your comments and suggestions. Feel free to tinker with it and add additional information etc. This is a rough draft which, for the time being, I'm keeping to Media. We'll discuss it tonight. I've attached it as a Word.doc in case that's easier for you to work with.

Jane

Continue the Campaign for Democracy and the Right to Protest

Although the progression of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-factsheets/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-protest-powers-factsheet

has been delayed until later this year, it has passed its second reading and is unlikely to go away. This controversial bill marks a step towards the erosion of the right to peaceful protest. It comes as no surprise that this government, which has shown a scant regard for parliament (unlawfully proroguing it in 2019) and a disdain for democracy, is now trying to shut down protest. It is a wide-ranging bill and there is much that it wrong with it: for example, defacing a national monument could carry a higher sentence than rape.

Even Theresa May expressed concern about it, saying the government walks a fine line between being ‘popular and populist.

Bath for Europe was founded on the principles of protest and has campaigned against the legitimacy of the referendum and of Brexit since 2016. This new bill would restrict the right to inflict ‘serious annoyance’ on a person or organisation without a ‘reasonable excuse’: this could result in one-person gatherings or static protests being prevented from making a noise. As the purpose of a protest is to make an impact, this proposal undermines democracy and could certainly be perceived as a ‘Steve Bray/Mr Stop Brexit‘ clause. There are several petitions asking for elements of the bill to be removed so that peaceful protest can continue - please give them your support

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/579012

 Once Covid restrictions are lifted, Bath for Europe plans to campaign against this bill and ensure democracy, through the right to protest, is not impeded.

 For further reading, we recommend this article by West England Bylines  https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/not-a-welcome-bill/