The government’s anti-demonstration, pro-statue bill passed its second reading – 11 peaceful protests
The government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill has passed its second reading in the House of Commons. The controversial legislation would see, among other things:
Fines and prison sentences for anyone found guilty of causing “serious annoyance”.
The potential for a ten-year prison sentence for damaging a statue.
Noise and time restrictions on demonstrations, even those carried out by just one person.
The bill doesn’t address problems with violent crimes against women, and the increase in the police’s powers to curb or prevent even peaceful demonstrations has caused serious disquiet.
To every single female MP considering voting for the policing bill today.
How do you think you got your right to vote, let alone your right to sit in parliament?#PolicingBill pic.twitter.com/pTXuxmHkeC
— Pickle-Lily (@manda_m0) March 15, 2021
"By giving the police the discretion to use these powers some of the time, it takes away our freedoms ALL of the time."
David Lammy is fighting for every single one of us.
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼#PolicingBill @DavidLammy pic.twitter.com/tUhgMNiYK2— Femi😷 (@Femi_Sorry) March 16, 2021
Please don't worry about the new Policing Bill. All it will do is ensure we can throw in jail anyone who disagrees with the government. So relax.#PolicingBill
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) March 15, 2021
Theresa May stood up and made a passionate speech against elements of the bill.
If Theresa May thinks the #PolicingBill is bad, that should tell you how bad it really is.
— Alex Tiffin – FND, BPD (@RespectIsVital) March 15, 2021
Then she voted for it.
Of course, the pro-bill MPs had their say too.
Just switched on the #PoliceBill debate.
I kid you not, with no sense of irony at all, Tory MP David Amess has just said that protests shouldn't be allowed outside Parliament because they disrupt the work being done in the *seat of democracy*.
— Siobhan Benita (@SiobhanBenita) March 16, 2021
It soon became apparent that the bill was unlikely to be defeated, due to the enormous Tory majority.
So the #policingbill is likely to be passed, what a shit day for the right to protest. We go live to Downing Street’s new £2.6million briefing room for what it’ll mean for us all… pic.twitter.com/nxELqwOUWy
— Michael Morgan (@mikewhoatv) March 16, 2021
When it passed, not a single Conservative had voted against it.
For: 359
Against: 263The policing bill passes the second reading in the UK Parliament.
This is a direct attack on democracy. It helps to make the case for an independent Wales. #PolicingBill #SilencingBill #RightToProtest
— Leanne Wood 🏴 (@LeanneWood) March 16, 2021
Tweeters made their feelings known – quietly and without vandalising a single statue.
1.
Banning protests. Ensuring schools teach 'correct' British history. Making the state broadcaster be in line with the government. Longer jail terms for people that trash statues than actual abusers. No pay rises for nurses just clapping. Welcome to Britain it's shit here.
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) March 16, 2021
2.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't get into politics to make Britain shit. https://t.co/FaAw15Z1Bo
— Michael Govern Ready (@mikegove12) March 16, 2021
3.
Democracy latest.
MPs just voted to allow people to be sent to prison for 10 years for daring to make a noise or be annoying to even one person outside Parliament.— David Schneider (@davidschneider) March 16, 2021
