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Power to the People
New UK laws are repressing our right to protest
With all the psychodrama occurring at Westminster over the past few weeks, it’s perhaps not so surprising that one of the most repressive pieces of legislation in the modern era is slipping through virtually unnoticed and with hardly a whimper from the mainstream press. I mean, it should be surprising if we were not already aware that our media is largely controlled by right-wing interests, who don’t care much about freedom of protest. At least, not when it’s against their interests or those of their paymasters.
Yet the Public Order Bill 2022 is all set to strip us of many of our fundamental civic rights around protest. In their own words, the Government places the need for such action on those pesky lefties wishing to protect us and our planet.
Recent actions by protest groups such as Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain have shown that the Government needs to act in preventing serious disruption.
Well, of course. I mean, what fair-minded, decent person would wish to be protected against such heinous, political agitators? Not in my name, thank you.
Of course, the authors of the legislation are two of the most reactionary Home…