Behind England’s Kill the Bill Protests
The proposed introduction of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill into English and Welsh law has created tension as well as clashes between the public and police. A major piece of legislation, notable sections include a change to protests, increased protection of statues and a lack of safeguarding for women. In a time where distrust between the establishment and the people is rising, through the bill, police gain an unworthy enhancement of powers.
Some key elements include police being able to impose a start and finish time to protests. Noise limits will begin and a person found guilty of causing serious inconvenience or annoyance can be imprisoned for up to ten years. The vague nature of ‘annoyance’ and ‘inconvenience’ has caused many to criticise this clause.
Clashes between police and protesters escalate in Bristol, England. (Peter Cziborra | Reuters)
One of the most confusing measures is that of imprisonment for damaging a memorial. This crime will carry up to ten years behind bars. It is thought this has been introduced following the toppling of slave trader Edward Colston’s statue, during the summer Black Lives Matter protests. This is more prison time than recent sexual assault offenders have received.
Critics, including the opposing party, Labour, have argued that the violence of women and young girls isn’t touched upon enough in the legislation. The bill mentions placing undercover police officers in bars and clubs wearing plain clothing. That way, unsuspecting offenders will be immediately reprimanded. A month after Sarah Everard was killed by a Metropolitan police officer, and weeks after video footage showed an off duty officer attacking a woman, women feel caged rather than free by this news. Last week, a Met police officer was found guilty of belonging to a neo-Nazi group. As of April 4, during a series of Kill the Bill raids, plain-clothed police pretending they were postal workers forced their way into the homes of two women. Police reform, not an enhancement of powers is what’s necessary for safety and protection.
What powers do the police currently have?
At present, the police can only place restrictions on a protest if they have reason to believe it may result in “serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community.” Under the Public Order Act of 1986, police need to prove they have informed protestors that they need to disperse, before accusing them of breaking the law. The new bill makes it a crime to not follow the rules even if someone is not aware they are in place: demonstrators “ought” to have known about it.
What has been the reaction of the bill?
Several protests have sprung up in major English cities. Under the slogan “Kill the Bill”, thousands have demanded it be rescinded. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy addressed crowds in London, “The police, crime, sentencing and courts bill should have come as no surprise: it’s part of an authoritarian drive from this government. We can see it in everything they have been doing recently, from voter ID registration to anti-union laws and new anti-protest laws. They want to strip away our hard-fought, hard-won democratic rights and we must stop them.”
The city of Bristol has seen violent clashes between demonstrators and the police. Riot shields and dogs were used as a deterrent after crowds of 1,000 showed up to protest. Journalist Matthew Dresch shared his account of being pushed and hit with a baton by the police whilst stating he was a member of the press.
