#KillTheBill: Joint Statement on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill From XR, BLM local groups, RAAH and more
March 15, 2021 by Extinction Rebellion
This is an open statement written by a coalition of UK organisations, groups & social movements of all ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, sexualities, faiths, abilities, ages and social standings, who have united to challenge the UK government. We are extremely troubled and disturbed by the newly proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in its current form. The deliberately vague language used would enable the police to act unilaterally with near unlimited discretion.
This appears to be a blatant attempt to create an authoritarian police state, where the voices of ordinary people, particularly those most marginalised and disadvantaged, are silenced by state sanctioned penalties. We collectively decry this move by the UK government and demand that MPs Kill The Bill.
The rights to peacefully assemble and protest are a fundamental part of any democracy, empowering people to have their voices heard, in addition to holding the Government to account. This is also in direct contrast to the assurances the UK government gave that it will uphold the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as breaking with the UN Covenant on Human Rights.
Unless Her Majesty’s Government changes its current course of action, we cannot foresee that the mounting public unrest from all sides will cease, nor that it should. Such is the nature of democracy.
We would like to remind the Home Secretary and the Government that they serve by democratic mandate that is handed to them by the will of the people.
We the signees, and millions across the country, will continue to unite and fight to protect the fundamental human rights that every single one of us is entitled to.
#KillTheBill
#UniteForHumanRights
#SaveOurDemocracies
#ProtectOurRightToProtest
Signatories:
- Black Music Movement
- Black Lives Matter Leeds
- Merseyside BLM Alliance
- Labour Party LGBTQ+ Network
- United for Black lives
- Justice 4 Minorities
- Brighton BLM
- Northern Police Monitoring Project (NPMP)
- Extinction Rebellion UK
- The Roundhouse, London
- Fridays For Future Europe
- Reclaim the Night Leeds
- All Black Lives UK
- Leeds Tidal
- RAAH CIC
- Extinction Rebellion Youth UK
- Reclaim These Streets Portsmouth
- Justice for Black Lives
- Manchester March
- The Outside Project
- Nigerians United in the Diaspora
- Nigerian Angel
- Brixton’s Baddest Skate Shop
- BLM London
- Angel of Youths
- Reclaim These Streets York
- XR Justice Steering Group
- My Queer Culture
- XR Southsea – Website, xrsouthsea@protonmail.com
- CEE Bill Alliance Portsmouth
- XR Brighton
- XR Brighton UNI’S
- XR Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- MLC Britain — Instagram, Twitter, E-mail
- XR Portsmouth
- XR Educators
- XR Scientists
- XR Waveney East
- YCL Britain — Instagram, Twitter, Website
- Cops Off Campus
- XR Haringey
- XR Barnet
- XR York
- XR Warrington
- Anti-Oppression Circle
- Royal Holloway Left Forum
- Royal Holloway LGBT+ Society Committee
- Royal Holloway Labour Society
- XR/HS2 Support Network
- Lambeth and Southwark Antifascist League
- Haringey antifascists
- IN.Society- instagram
- XR Croydon
- XR Unify
- XRUPT – Extinction Rebellion Underground Partisan Tendency
- The Voice of Colour
- XR Lambeth
- Anti-harassment Club Brighton
- BLM Leamington
- XR kensington and chelsea
- XR London Nonviolence and Deescalation Circle
- BLM Portsmouth
- Stand Up to Racism Portsmouth
- Project E
- Amazon Rebellion
- Brazil Matters
- Harrow and Kenton Antifascist & Anti-Racist Association
- Real RCG
- Imperial College Left Forum
- HS2 Health MDT – providing voluntary healthcare to HS2 protest camps.
- 9K4what
- 9k4
- Whatyork
- York student solidarity network
- Pen ting poetry
- Minority Protection Initiative
- 9k4what_newcastle
- 9k4what_northumbria
- 9k4whatstirling
- 9k4what_uclan
- BLM for Stoke
- BLM Warrington
- XR Northampton
- XR Kettering
- XR Digital Rebellion
- XR Oxford
- XR Oxford Family Group
- XR Oxford EDI WG
- Oxford Unity
- Haringey Antifascists
- Real RCG
- Runnymede Antifascists
- Reclaim The Night Leeds rtnleeds@gmail.com
- The 4th Demand Network
- Papua Militant International
- Animal Rebellion West London
- XR Cymru
- XR Cardiff
- XR Youth (Internationalist) Solidarity
Extinction Rebellion UK and local groups have also signed the open letter from Friends of the Earth, signed by more than 150 organisations.