Priti Patel has quietly been stuffing even more punitive anti-protest powers into the policing bill

 what does freedom mean to you? 

I ask because last week the government very quietly made last minute changes to the already oppressive Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. [1] These amendments are truly shocking and could effectively ban ordinary people from participating in peaceful protests andrestrict their freedom of movement. [2]

Even former Attorney General and Conservative MP, Dominic Grieve has described the bill as a “threat to our freedom and democracy”. [3] That’s no exaggeration.

No matter where you sit politically or ideologically, freedom of speech and expression is supposed to be a pillar of any free society. Without it our democracy is weaker and we lose our ability to confront power and injustice. [4]

We still have time to stop these draconian measures from becoming law. Will you add your name and demand the government protect our freedom and democracy?

You’d expect to see these new measures in a dictatorship, not a democracy. People could be sent to jail for 51 weeks for things like “locking on” – a technique used as far back at the Suffragettes. The amendments also increase stop and search powers for police during protests, and create new Serious Disruption Prevention Orders (SDPOs) that could block people from peacefully demonstrating and dictate where they can go and who they can see in their daily lives. [5] Worryingly, you could be given a SPDO without actually having done anything disruptive – only that you might have caused serious disruption. [6]

Though these amendments should be headline news, the media is mostly silent on the issue. But the good news is that we have a chance to stop the bill from passing. The House of Lords has the power to edit the bill before the government tries to push it through in January. Let’s pile on the pressure and make as much noise as possible so they are forced to act.

We’re working with other organisations like Liberty and Friends of the Earth. So far over 660,000 people have signed to demand the government scrap this bill collectively. Can you join the fast-growing number of people fighting for our fundamental rights?

From women’s right to vote, to the end of Apartheid in South Africa – throughout history change has come from protest and people mobilising together for progress. Today is no different with the youth climate activists like Fridays For Future.

This bill is really worrying for us at Greenpeace too. We will never stop fighting to protect people and the planet – but these new laws could impact our activists, volunteers and the action we take.

This petition is just one tool to demonstrate the strength of feeling across the country – and show how united we are. We’ll be in touch with more ways you can help stop this bill in the coming weeks. But for now you can help make a difference by quickly signing the petition.

Thanks for everything you do.

Best wishes,

Jack

Greenpeace UK

1 [6] Priti Patel has quietly been stuffing even more punitive anti-protest powers into the policing bill

[3] Dominic Grieve: The Policing Bill is a threat to our freedom and democracy

[4] Does peaceful protest work?

[5] Jailed for 51 weeks for protesting? Britain is becoming a police state by stealth