This Council strongly oppose the ill-conceived and dangerous Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill being proposed by the Home Secretary. To push through repressive legislation under the cover of the pandemic is awful politics and will make dreadful law.

As it stands, the Bill seeks to:

• Erode fundamental rights of protest including vital trade union actions and activities that support working people
• Draw false links between violence and the Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion protests
• Attack those marginalised from society, such as traveller communities and other minority groups
• Create a fake ‘culture war’ where moves to establish a more tolerant and diverse society is somehow destroying our history.

 We are saddened by the violent scenes in our city. As a trade union movement, we believe in the right for workers to be able to protest without police harassment or violence. We condemn the police violence towards peaceful demonstrators and members of the press.  Furthermore, we note with concern the reports of police intimidation towards journalists as they are trying to carry out their job, as well as preventing independent media coverage.

These incidents need to be fully independently investigated and those responsible held to account.

 

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