New plans have been announced to clamp down on disruptive protests across the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is backing the police, who want the Government to broaden the legal definition of ‘serious disruption’ following months of protests by climate emergency campaigners, who have glued themselves to roads, taken part in slow marches among other things.
Their efforts are hugely divisive. The Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion supporters say it is the only way to make their voices heard – but millions of people just see their journeys affected, their lives put on hold and chaos in their daily business.
While the Government has already given police additional powers to prevent protestors using guerrilla tactics, changes introduced this week mean:
- Police will not need to wait for disruption to take place and can shut protests down before chaos erupts
- Police will not need to treat a series of protests by the same group as standalone incidents but will be able to consider their total impact
- Police will be able to consider long-running campaigns designed to cause repeat disruption over a period of days or weeks
Campaign group Just Stop Oil has a large number of supporters in Cumbria – and runs training sessions in the county for people who want to take part in action.
We asked one of the Cumbrian-based Just Stop Oil supporters, who has asked to remain anonymous, for their reaction to the amendments to the Public Order Bill. Here’s what they had to say:
What happens when you’ve had enough?
This uncaring government has brought this country to its knees. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to jail the wrong people.
It’s not the caring vicars, builders, nurses, doctors, teachers, students, grandparents and scientists who support Just Stop OiI who should be behind bars. When nurses, doctors, paramedics and teachers are striking we know something is deeply wrong.
No wonder an incompetent government wants to prevent protest – we all have a lot to protest about. So even if you are happy for this to happen to climate protesters, what happens when you’ve had enough?
When young people don’t see a safe future for themselves they are going to do whatever it takes to change that.
They see politicians choosing to support fossil fuel companies instead of protecting the people they represent. No threat of arrest or jail is going to put them off.
However, some of them are not going to have babies. Others are questioning long cherished dreams of careers. Neither of these things seem possible or right when you cannot grow food or breathe clean air or access fresh water.
These young people have both understood and connected with the climate science. They know what extreme weather all over the world is doing now to harvests and homes.
They also know it will only get worse without a huge wartime effort. There are over 100 flood warnings all over the UK today. There are people who cannot get their homes insured. Last summer 60 homes were lost to wild fires – in the UK! Next year’s potato, fruit, vegetable and wheat harvests are under serious threat from the extreme heat, storms and floods.
Many young people trust the science more than they trust our leaders – why wouldn’t they? Thousands of peer reviewed scientists, David Attenborough, the Government’s own advisers, the environment cross party committee and even the oil companies’ own International Energy Agency are all saying the same thing – no more new oil and gas. Yet our government is licensing over a 100 more and has greenlighted a new coal mine here in Cumbria.
And then they dare to pretend to care about the public being disrupted while 500 people are dying a week because of their neglect of the NHS! Do they think we are so easily fooled?
What do you think?
Is the Government right to clamp down on protest? Do you agree with the campaigner? Join the conversation. Email your thoughts to [email protected] or join us on Facebook.
