Protesters gather in London to oppose more police powers
- Text by Ben Smoke
- Photography by Aiyush Pachnanda
On 7 December, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill (also known as the ‘policing bill’) reached another stage in its passage through Parliament. After passing its third reading in the commons in July of earlier this year, the Bill moved into the House of Lords where it has gradually been progressing. It is expected to reach its final stage over the next few days.
The policing bill has been extremely controversial since its introduction earlier this year. Campaigners say that many of the new provisions within it, which include new offences for vandalising statues and new powers for the police to shut down protest, will dramatically impinge on the right to protest in the UK, which is enshrined within the Human Rights Act. The Bill also includes provisions to criminalise trespass which many say will target Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
Protests erupted in March and saw violent clashes on the streets of Bristol, London and Manchester as activists fought to ‘kill the bill’.
As the Bill has passed through the Lords, further powers have been added, including provisions that see increased stop and search powers and those which will outlaw so-called ‘lock-ons’ (the practice of locking yourself to a person or an object through the use of lock-on tubes or D-locks). Last night, hundreds came out on the streets of London to protest the bill.
Speaking on the Bill, Labour MP Nadia Whittome told Huck: “This Bill represents the criminalisation of our democratic rights; the end of protest as we know it in this country. Anyone who attends any demonstration will be at risk of arrest, of prosecution, of having their lives turned upside-down for daring to oppose this government. These are the laws of a dictatorship, not a democracy.”
She added: “It is of course marginalised people, like Roma and Traveller communities and Black youth, who will be targeted disproportionately. We have to resist this attack on protest through protest itself. We must build public pressure and force the government to U-turn.”
As Tories continue to be embroiled by scandal around alleged parties held in lockdown, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new raft of Covid-19 measures, anger at the government reached fever pitch. Photographer Aiyiush Pachnanda was there to capture the protests which took place in Westminster as the Bill continued its passage through the House of Lords.
Follow Aiyush Pachnanda on Instagram.
Ben Smoke is Huck’s Politics & Activism Editor. Follow him on Twitter.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You might like
As salmon farming booms, Icelanders size up an existential threat
Seyðisfjörður — The industry has seen huge growth in recent years, with millions of fish being farmed in the Atlantic Ocean. But who benefits from its commercial success, and what does it mean for the ocean? Phil Young ventures to the remote country to find out.
Written by: Phil Young
Activists hack London billboards to call out big tech harm
Tax Big Tech: With UK youth mental health services under strain, guerrilla billboards across the capital accuse social media companies of profiting from a growing crisis.
Written by: Ella Glossop
In photos: The boys of the Bibby Stockholm
Bibby Boys — A new exhibition by Theo McInnes and Thomas Ralph documents the men who lived on the three-story barge in Dorset, giving them the chance to control their own narrative.
Written by: Thomas Ralph
‘We’re going to stop you’: House Against Hate tap Ben UFO, Greentea Peng and Shygirl for anti-far right protest
R3 Soundsystem — It takes place on March 28 in London’s Trafalgar Square, with a huge line-up of DJs, artists and crews named on the line-up.
Written by: Ella Glossop
In photos: Lebanon’s women against a backdrop of war
Where Do I Go? لوين روح — As war breaks out in the Middle East once again, we spotlight Rania Matar’s powerful new photobook, which empowers women of her home country through portraiture.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Riding out with Mac & Matteo
Warm shoulder — Cycling around London with his cat on his shoulder, balaclava-donning youth worker Mac is challenging society’s perceptions of people who look and dress like him. Molly Lipson chats to him about trauma, fatherhood and using his platform as a feline influencer for good.
Written by: Molly Lipson
