Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed protesters in London on Saturday, urging them to 'stand up for the right to protest' as demonstrations against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill took place across the UK. Speaking in Parliament Square, Corbyn invoked historical figures such as the suffragettes and Nelson Mandela, calling on the crowd to oppose the legislation.
The bill, currently before Parliament, would give police in England and Wales greater powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance. Anyone refusing to follow police directions could face fines of up to £2,500. Corbyn criticised the bill, saying it would prevent protest without police approval, and referenced the police dispersal of a vigil for Sarah Everard as a catalyst for the demonstrations.
Protests took place in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Brighton, Weymouth and Luton. In London, police reported 26 arrests after a 'small minority' refused to leave following the rally. In Bristol, over 1,000 people gathered peacefully, though around 100 demonstrators later briefly closed part of the M32 motorway by sitting in the road.
Several women addressed the London crowd, sharing personal experiences of abuse and being drugged. Protesters carried anti-sexism placards and chanted 'women scared everywhere, police and Government do not care' as they marched past Downing Street. The latest demonstrations are the first since coronavirus restrictions on outdoor gatherings were eased on Monday, allowing groups of six or two households, with an extra provision for organised protests subject to risk assessments.
