LONDON — Hundreds of
demonstrators joined marches and rallies across Britain on Saturday as part of
a "national weekend of action" against a proposed new law that would
give police extra powers to curb protests.
اضافة اعلان
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and
Courts bill would toughen measures officers can take to disperse
demonstrations, such as imposing time and noise limits, which campaigners and
activists fear would be used to curb dissent.
Since the bill was brought before
parliament last month, there have been sporadic protests, notably in Bristol,
southwest England, where demonstrations turned violent with officers and a
police station bombarded with bricks and glass bottles and police vehicles set
on fire.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticized
what he described as "disgraceful attacks" on officers, but
protesters have accused police of using heavy-handed tactics.
On Saturday, climate change group
Extinction Rebellion (XR) and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement joined
other activists for "kill the bill" rallies in London and other towns
and cities, including Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Brighton.
"The government are trying
to curtail protests - especially BLM and XR - that is what this bill is all
about. We want the clauses in this bill about protests quashed," said Mark
Duncan, one of a crowd of more than 500 marching through central London,
banging drums and chanting.
Days of protests by Extinction
Rebellion paralyzed parts of London in early 2019, action which fuelled calls
from some politicians for the police to be given the tougher powers to prevent
excessive disruption.
Demonstrations had not been
permitted while a coronavirus lockdown was in place, but restrictions were
eased this week, meaning organized rallies can go ahead providing they are
"COVID secure".
In London, police warned,
"enforcement action will be taken, if needed, in the interests of public
health".
Some senior officers have said
the "kill the bill" tag was deliberately provocative as "the
bill" is a nickname in Britain for the police.
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