The Bristol riots — this is not the way to go
With regards the riots in Bristol last night with the involvement of Extinction Rebellion. They are just adding to why the government is passing this bill.
Consider the difference. I am the great, great, great grandson of someone who marched with Mahatma Ghandi in the struggle to free India from British Rule.
All protests were organised and police permission was given. Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Jew stood side by side. The rules were very strict. No obscenities. Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time. Garlands of flowers were put around the necks of the police and army officials there at the time. At times all protestors were told to be silent as the speaker spoke or during the march.
At the end you had to shake hands with the person to your front, back, left and right after singing God Save the King- the UK national anthem at the time. Then you went home peacefully.
Their main way of protest was the refusal to pay the salt tax and to buy British Items. The British has no choice but to leave India.
Can you see the difference?
The way to protest properly is to make a parliamentary petition like this one.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/579012
Do not restrict our rights to peaceful protest.
The right to peaceful assembly and protest are fundamental principles of any democracy and the proposed part of this bill that gives the police new powers to tackle disruptive peaceful protests should be removed from The Policing, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
I know you may be sick of signing parliamentary petitions but they do work. A campaign by petitioners, including one who gave evidence to the
Petitions Committee inquiry on the impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave, has resulted in the Government updating its guidance to exempt baby and toddler groups from gatherings limits in all tiers. So they do work! (2)
If we get 10,000 signatures then we get a response from the government.
If we get 100,000 then they consider it for debate in parliament.
I welcome your comments below.
Bibliography
1 Bristol riot: Violent clashes with police ‘shameful’https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-56461796
2) Extend maternity leave by 3 months with pay in light of COVID-19 https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/306691
