Essex campaigners protest over government's new policing bill
They were outside Southend Magistrates Court
Groups including Southend Extinction Rebellion have been protesting outside Southend Magistrates’ Court today - over the government's new Policing Bill.
The new law would increase police stop and search powers for protests and, they say, would criminalise effective demonstrations.
The protests come at the same time the House of Lords discusses the aforementioned Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Jon Fuller, an environmental campaigner, was part of the picket today. He said:
"We are here, ultimately, to protect the right to peaceful protest. That is going to be taken from people, and if it is taken then it pushes people more towards violent extremism - the very last thing we want to see happen in this country."
"This is not about the right to restrict unlawful or violent protest, there are loads of laws to cover that. What the government is trying to do is limit our right to peaceful protests whereby we might march down the street, banging drums, singing, chanting, making noise and if a government minister feels that it's too disruptive, making too much noise then you could be banned."
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“We will always champion the right to protest peacefully and this bill in no way changes that."
“We have seen some of the most self-defeating and dangerous protests in recent years with people gluing themselves to motorways, causing serious disruption to the law-abiding majority across the country and tearing police away from communities that need them most."
“That’s why our Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is so necessary – it gives police the power to proactively prevent this kind of chaos before it ensues, and focuses on a selfish minority of relentless reoffenders.”