Email Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and call on her to stop this attack on our fundamental rights?

Call on the Home Secretary to stop the attack on our fundamental rights

The past few weeks have seen some extremely worrying events for our right to protest, here’s some things you may have missed:

 

• The government’s Crime and Policing bill is going through parliament – one shocking proposal included would allow the government to revoke the immigration status of protesters that receive a police caution. Another proposal gives police the power to arrest anyone covering their face at a protest – even for religious or health reasons. [1]

 

• A new Greenpeace investigation found the Metropolitan Police have regularly arrested protesters when there is an extremely low chance of them ever being charged. The research also showed an almost tenfold rise in the number of protest arrests in London since 2019. [2]

 

• In a deeply troubling development the government proscribed the direct action protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Palestine Action is now treated as the same threat as Al-Qaeda and ISIS by the government. This is a scandalous abuse of anti-terror law and another attack on protest. [3]

 

All of the above show how the government is attacking our fundamental right to protest, which we all need to come together to stop. It might not affect you now – but at some point you might want to have your voice heard – and these laws will silence you. Take just two minutes and protect our right to protest.

Tell the Home Secretary to protect the right to protest

Labour’s attack on protest is worrying – but there’s still hope. Last month, the government dropped its court appeal that would pave the way for police to shut down protests on vague and obscure grounds. [4] While the UN has called out the UK’s extreme anti-protest measures and use of terror laws. [5]

 

We can still win. We need to come together and show the government we won’t accept this attack on our fundamental rights that have won us so many of the freedoms we enjoy today. Make sure you act and help protect our right to protest.

 

Thanks for all you do,

Anthony

 

Notes:

[1] UK: Crime and policing bill an attack on our ‘proud legacy of protest’

[2] Met police accused of ‘assault on right to protest’ after tenfold rise in nuisance law arrests

[3] Palestine Action has been proscribed – but what does that mean?

[4] Government ‘quietly drops’ fight for tougher anti-protest laws used to arrest climate activist Greta Thunberg

[5] UN experts urge United Kingdom not to misuse terrorism laws against protest group Palestine Action