More than a hundred people were detained following a protest in central London on Saturday against a government bill expanding the kingdom's law enforcement powers to ban street demonstrations.

As explained in the press service of the metropolitan police, the protesters violated public order and legislation on countering the spread of COVID-19, and some of them were arrested for attacking law enforcement officers.

In a release released on the evening of April 3, it was reported that ten police officers were injured during clashes with demonstrators.

As stated in the department, the majority of the protesters observed the rules of social distancing and obeyed the requests of the police, but some, according to law enforcement officers, intended to "disturb the peace of law-abiding Londoners."

“We are still living in a global pandemic and have made significant progress in containing the spread of the virus;

we will not allow the selfish actions of a small group of people to jeopardize the progress of Londoners, ”the police said.

Let's go overclocking

Kill the Bill protests also took place the day before in other cities in the United Kingdom, including Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham.

The demonstrators were supported by the former leader of the British Labor Party, Jeremy Corbin.

The politician made a speech in which he criticized the proposed document and called for a fight against its adoption.

“I want to live in a society where it is safe to walk down the street, where you can speak your mind openly, participate in a demonstration and not ask the police or the interior minister for permission to do so,” Corbin said.

The bill was introduced to the House of Commons on March 9, 2021, but the acceleration of the event in memory of the murdered Sarah Everard was the catalyst for the protests.

The woman went missing on the evening of March 3 in the London district of Clapham, when she was returning home.

A week later, her body was found in a forest in Kent.

Wayne Cousins, a London police officer, was charged with the kidnapping and murder of 33-year-old Everard.

The murder of the young woman caused a wide public outcry, in a number of cities mourning events were planned under the slogan "Reclaim These Streets".

However, the police banned mass events, citing the need to comply with sanitary restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Rally for the rights and safety of women in memory of Sarah Everard

  • Reuters

  • © Toby Melville

After the ban, the Reclaim These Streets movement urged mourners not to gather in a city park in the Clapham area, instead the British were asked to light candles in memory of the murdered Sarah Everard.

However, several hundred people still gathered in the park, despite the restrictions, to pay tribute to the deceased Everard, whose death sparked public debate about the safety of women in British society at large.

The police dispersed the participants of the event, several women were detained, despite the outrage of other demonstrators.

These events intensified the discussion around the bill expanding the powers of law enforcement officers over the protesters.

Noise accompaniment

This document, among other things, amends the powers of the police set out in the Law Enforcement Act of 1986.

If the document is accepted, the police will be able to impose restrictions against too noisy events.

The document talks about street performances so loud that they are capable of "intimidating or harassing" others, or cause them "serious concern, anxiety or suffering."

This also applies to protests with the participation of one person, specified in an explanation published on the website of the British Parliament.

In addition, the document amends the provisions of the Law on Police Reform and Social Responsibility of 2011 in order to expand the "controlled zone" around the parliament, where some protest events are prohibited.

Another section of the amendments is devoted to the tent camps of the protesters.

The bill proposes to lower the threshold that allows law enforcement officers to act against such unauthorized camps.

To the gallery page

"The amendments will also allow the police to dismantle unauthorized campgrounds located (in whole or in part) on the territory of the freeways, and will prohibit the re-setting of campgrounds in the territory where they were eliminated for twelve months," the document says.

The government claims that the amendments to the law are aimed at protecting the interests of ordinary citizens and denies accusations that the measures will limit the rights of the British to protest.

“There are cases when the behavior of the protesters leads to an unacceptable violation of order or causes concern to others,” explains the website of the British Cabinet of Ministers in the section on the resonant bill.

Convenient moment

According to experts, opponents of the bill are right when they say that if it enters into force, the document could seriously limit the rights of even peaceful protesters.

Experts believe that the United Kingdom authorities want to use the coronavirus pandemic to pass an unpopular bill, as protests are now complicated by sanitary requirements.

As Natalya Eremina, professor of the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations, St. Petersburg State University, noted in an interview with RT, the procedure for holding mass demonstrations was established long ago in Great Britain and met the needs of society.

“Now the authorities have taken advantage of the situation with the coronavirus to start imposing restrictions.

Previously, similar steps were taken after the terrorist attacks.

For example, control over the information sphere was strengthened - Internet content, correspondence in messengers, calls.

The new bill, in fact, means complete control of the authorities over mass events.

Society may lose such an instrument of interaction with the authorities as protest actions, ”the expert said.

  • British Parliament building

  • Reuters

  • © Henry Nicholls

According to Eremina, the British authorities have long wanted to carry out such a reform and were only waiting for convenient circumstances.

The coronavirus pandemic, with its many restrictions, has become such an opportunity for the authorities, the expert said.

A similar point of view is shared by Dmitry Danilov, professor at MGIMO, head of the European Security Department at the Institute of Europe, RAS.

“If the bill is passed, the authorities will be able to prohibit any uncomfortable protest actions.

Today, the UK government is facing numerous internal problems: the spread of the coronavirus and protests.

In such conditions, the ruling circles are trying to prevent the emergence of an uncontrollable situation, therefore they are working ahead of the curve, "the interlocutor of RT said.

At the same time, the government refers to the events of 2019, when environmental activists from the Extinction Rebellion movement blocked traffic in several areas of London, which caused the discontent of many residents of the British capital.

According to the government, the expenses of the metropolitan police in connection with the actions of the activists then reached £ 16 million.

However, these arguments of the authorities have not convinced all Britons - many consider the bill an attack on the rights of citizens and come out to protest against the measures taken by the authorities.

According to experts, we are not talking about local outbreaks of discontent, but about the mood of almost the entire British society, which is outraged by the government's initiative.

“There is great indignation in society with these proposals.

And on the whole, such measures by the authorities only create contradictions between society and the authorities, stimulate the growth of radical sentiments and imbalances in society, ”said Dmitry Danilov.

However, at the current stage, the protests are unlikely to shake the position of the authorities, the expert added: “The current British leadership is unlikely to listen to the protesters.

And in the near future, the authorities will pursue the same course.

However, it is possible that in the future these amendments may be canceled by another composition of the government. "

Natalya Eremina also doubts that the protests will affect the position of the British leadership.

“British society is dissatisfied with the government's initiative and sees it as a violation of their rights.

However, the protests are unlikely to affect the opinion of the authorities, ”she summed up.