Kendal protests against Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

‘Kill the Bill’ protests have taken place up and down the country for several weeks as people grow increasingly concerned about the new legislation which pertains to changes to protests.

GATHERED: Around 150 people attended

Currently, police must show a protest may cause 'serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community' before imposing any restrictions.

Under the Bill, police forces will be allowed to put conditions on protests they believe constitute a ‘public nuisance’, including imposing starting and finishing times, noise limits, and will be able to apply these rules to a demonstration by a single person.

Other proposals in the Bill include changes to sentencing rules so that serious criminals spend more time behind bars before they can be conditionally released, enabling judges to consider jailing child murderers for their entire lives and, on terrorism, allowing greater powers to more closely monitor offenders released from prison.

Among the estimated 150 protesters gathered at the Birdcage at the weekend were Extinction Rebellion South Lakes and South Lakeland and Lancaster District Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

PROTESTING: Young people at the Birdcage on Saturday

Philip Gilligan, coordinator of the CND group, said : “It seems obvious that politicians and companies do not always act in the public interest and that campaigners will always need many different ways to challenge controversial policies and decisions.

“The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill provides one example, but there are many others, including plans to increase the stockpile of nuclear warheads in breach of commitments under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. It is imperative that we protest against such horrific policies and that we defend our right to do so.”

DEMONSTRATING: A protestor with their sign

Protestor Ben Corrie, from Kendal, said: “The UK can no longer be considered a democracy if its citizens are denied the right to peaceful protest, which is what this Bill effectively does.

“Rather than address its abject failure to tackle the climate crisis and racial and gender inequality it’s effectively banning any kind of meaningful peaceful protest to crush dissent.

“Under this Bill you can get more prison time for damaging a statue or causing disruption than you’d get for serious violent crime.”

Tony Hill, a former police officer from Burneside, said: “I know just how fragile democracy and free speech is. However, it’s a right fought for over centuries. It’s up to us all to protect and nurture it. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.”