Dozens of marches and demonstrations are planned throughout the UK on Saturday as part of the “National Weekend” to the proposed new law that will provide extra police forces to curb protests. The Police, Crime, and Courts bill would toughen the measure police officers can use to disperse the demonstrations, such as imposing time and noise limits. Numerous rights activists and protesters fear that the new law would be used against dissent.
Because the bill was taken to parliament last month, there had been sporadic protests, especially in Bristol, southwestern England, where demonstrations turned violent with officers and a police station bombarded with bricks and bottles, and police vehicles set ablaze.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticized what he described as “embarrassing attacks” on officers, but the protesters accused the police of using heavy tactics. On Saturday, activists, climate change campaigners, and the Black Lives Matters group said they would join the “killing bill” demonstration in London and other cities, including Manchester, Leeds, Brighton, and Bristol.
“As a criminalized protest and our fake democracy is pushed further towards authoritarianism, we try to find where we can gather together with other movements to overcome the general causes that affect all of us,” said Alanna Byrne from the Department of Extinction of Environmental Group.
The days of protests by the group paralyzed London’s parts in early 2019, actions that helped trigger calls from several politicians to the police to be given harder strength to prevent excessive disturbances. The demonstration has not been permitted as the coronavirus restrictions have been in place. Still, the restrictions were eased earlier this week, meaning that organized demonstrations can continue to advance, providing they “Covid Secure.”
In London, the police warned, “Enforcement action will be taken, if needed, for the benefit of public health.” Some senior officers said the tag “Kill the Bill” deliberately provocative as the “bill” is the nickname in the UK for the police.
