Police thank 'respectful' Swindon #KilltheBill protestors
Officers say the demonstration passed "peacefully"
Last updated 6th Apr 2021
Wiltshire Police has thanked protestors in Swindon for being "peaceful" and "respectful" over the Easter weekend.
Organisers and participants were demonstrating against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill - which is currently making its way through Parliament.
On Saturday 3 April, Swindon residents gathered at Regents Circus, where they remained for just under two hours.
The protest - which reportedly involved 80-100 people - moved along Commercial Road, before returning to Regents Circus.
Commercial Road was closed briefly, whilst the march unfolded.
According to Wiltshire Police, the demonstration did adhere to COVID-19 regulations.
The easing of some lockdown restrictions last week included rules around protests, meaning they are now allowed if organisers implement specific social distancing measures.
'We want to thank those who expressed views in peaceful manner'
Supt Phil Staynings said: “Our engagement with those gathering at Regents Circus, led by our police liaison officers, was very positive and we want to thank those who expressed their views in a respectful manner.
“We continue to encourage the organisers of any future peaceful protests to engage with us to help them ensure the events are legally compliant and minimises the health risk to the public".
What is 'Kill the Bill' all about?
In recent weeks, marches have been held nationwide, opposing the PCSC Bill.
This major piece of legislation includes changes to the way police can respond to protests. There are some concerns that it's an attempt to restrict human rights.
If approved, the Bill would enable officers to set noise limits, impose a start and finish time on demonstrations and crackdown on those involving just one person.
Residents across other parts of our region have also been actively opposing the proposals in recent weeks.
In Plymouth, people objected the Bill on Easter Saturday.
Five #KilltheBill protests have also been hosted in Bristol since 21 March.