'Kill the Bill' protest held outside office of Newbury MP Laura Farris

CAMPAIGNERS of all ages took to the streets of Newbury on Saturday to defend their right to peacefully protest.

A number of individuals took part in the ‘Kill the Bill’ march to demonstrate against the ‘draconian’ Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The bill, which is 300 pages long, contains a number of new measures to increase sentences for child killers and other violent criminals and toughen penalties for attacks on police officers.

But under the most controversial part, police will be handed new powers to control the length of protests, impose maximum noise levels and prosecute activists for causing “serious annoyance”.

Despite widespread opposition from the public and on both sides of the House of Commons, the bill passed by 359 votes to 263 on March 16.

However, campaigners are not giving up without a fight and on Saturday a number of local groups formed a Newbury Alliance Against the PCSC Bill and took part in a Covid-secure, socially-distanced protest in Newbury.

Holding placards above their heads and chanting, the group marched down Northbrook Street then on to the Park Street office of Newbury MP Laura Farris, who voted in favour of the Bill, to demand that she reverses her support.

Young people, students and local environmental groups, who have been instrumental in organising and participating in the recent climate emergency and Black Lives Matter protests were among those taking part.

Parents and grandparents also took part to defend their children’s, grandchildren’s and future generations’ right to protest in the future.

Local members of several unions were also there to highlight that workers’ long-held right to protest against poor working conditions, pay and other inequalities in the workplace are under threat because of the bill.

Moz Bulbeck Reynolds, Sinead Hall, Carolyne Culver and Lois Ryan on behalf of the Newbury Alliance Against the PCSC Bill said: “The damaging and dangerous content of the bill will substantially undermine an individual’s right to protest, peacefully.

“This means protest in all its forms, whether on a picket line, advocating for victims of domestic violence, defence of the NHS, promotion of rights and freedoms (for example Pride events), and/or against racial inequality, against wars, against any other kinds of inequality or injustice, and not least the climate emergency.

“This bill will stifle all rights for individuals to exercise their freedom of speech, on any topic.

“We implore more members of the public to scrutinise this bill to ensure they are fully informed of how their rights will be impacted.

“This is a dangerous bill, and as many members of Parliament, including Conservative MPs, have argued, our very freedoms depend on this bill being rejected or substantial amendments made to remove these highly restrictive provisions.”

Members of Extinction Rebellion Newbury, who said the bill contained “sweeping and arbitrary powers to criminalise protest”, were among those taking part in Saturday’s action.

One of them, Claire Willsher, said: “We were proud to walk alongside many local groups to protest this draconian bill.

“‘Peaceful’ refers to our commitment to non-violent protest, but maybe we should make it clear we defend our right to noisy protest too.

“Sadly, carnivals and open air gatherings may also be deemed ‘annoying’ and banned under this new bill.

“We all know protest raises awareness of the issues at hand and opens debate about things that need to change in society.

“Extinction Rebellion Newbury exists to raise awareness of climate breakdown and aims to hold the Government to account for their failure to take meaningful action on that.

“This bill could potentially criminalise harmless actions like this one.

“There are already laws against criminal damage and breaching the peace, as there should be. We don’t need more legislation to silence us, we need a Government who wants to know why we are shouting.

“We stand united against this bill.”

Prior to Saturday’s protest, members of the Alliance discussed the plans with Thames Valley Police and informed representatives of Newbury Town Council to ensure it was done safely and within Covid-19 guidelines.