The Green Party has urged Labour to oppose the dictatorial powers
within the Policing Bill as it reaches the House of Lords this
week.
Green Party parliamentarians Caroline Lucas, and and London Assembly member
Zack Polanski will be joining a socially-distanced protest in
Parliament Square on Wednesday 12 January to defend the right to
protest [1].
Crucial votes have started on amendments this week to defend the
right to effective protest, this will culminate in a decisive
showdown with the government next Monday (17 January).
The Green Party is calling on Labour and independent members of
the House of Lords to stand up for the right to take part in
peaceful protest, which they say will be removed by the
government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The protest will be a Covid-safe event where those attending will
be expected to socially distance and masks will also be
available. [2]
Baroness , who has been leading
opposition to the Policing Bill in the House of Lords, said: “The
Government is trying to take away our democratic freedom to
protest, but in the next few days we have a unique opportunity to
stop some of the worst measures outright in the Lords. Laws that
give the police the power to stop people attending demonstrations
who have no criminal conviction and to stop and search without
suspicion.
“Boris Johnson once promised to lay down in front of the
bulldozers if they expanded Heathrow, now he wants a year in jail
for anyone doing that. We need Labour and others to vote with us,
in deleting these draconian laws from the Police Bill.”
said: “Priti Patel has
said that she intends to use the Bill to criminalise people
taking part in climate-related protests. But the sweeping powers
of this Bill could be used against anyone who falls foul of what
the home secretary decides is acceptable.
“The threat to democracy goes way beyond party politics, and we
are calling on MPs of all parties and members of the House of
Lords to stand up for human rights and reject this extremely
dangerous and anti-democratic Bill. Whatever the home secretary
believes, protest is a fundamental right in our democracy, not a
crime. It must be protected.”
Baroness said: “Many of the rights
we enjoy today would not have been achieved without protest,
including women’s right to vote. The statue of Millicent Fawcett,
where we will be gathering, commemorates the suffragists’ long
struggle. attended the unveiling of
this statue in 2018, but his government is now planning to
criminalise the very forms of protest used by these brave
women.”
London Assembly member and Green Party spokesperson on Democracy
and Citizenship, Zack Polanski AM, said: “The Policing Bill has
been condemned by a wide range of civil rights organisations,
including Amnesty International and Liberty. It clearly
contradicts Article 11 of the Human Rights Act, which protects
people’s right to protest by holding meetings and demonstrations.
Even the Conservative MP has warned of the uses to which
this dangerous legislation could be put.
“There is a clear distinction between peaceful protest and
violent action – and there are plenty of laws already that can be
used against anyone who crosses that line. The Green Party will
always defend people’s right to peaceful protest, whether we
agree with what they are saying or not.”
Baroness Jones said: “These draconian laws should be seen as part
of the attack on our democracy designed to keep a corrupt
government in power and minimise opposition.
“Ironically, it could be the government’s attempt to bypass
parliamentary scrutiny by MPs that enables the Lords to defeat
the 18 pages of new amendments that have been added to the Bill.
If so, there is a good chance that the government will be forced
to go back to the drawing board.”
