Fear is the weapon being used against us
JVL Introduction
Under cover of our fears of the contagion of the Covid-19 virus, huge new police powers to curb demonstrations are being touted. The draconian new Police and Crime Bill aims to outlaw all but the tamest protest.
It will ban even non-violent protest perceived as likely to be too noisy or to create “unease” in bystanders.
It is really aimed, suggests Jonathan Cook, at those like Extinction Rebellion who, like the suffragettes before them, believe the majority can only be woken from their induced slumber if they are disturbed by noise, if their lives are disrupted.
Our right to protest, affirms Cook, “must be championed even through a health crisis – most especially during a health crisis, when our rights are most vulnerable to erasure. The right to protest needs to be supported even by those who back lockdowns, even by those who fear that protests during Covid are a threat to public health.”
This article was originally published by Jonathan Cook Blog on Tue 23 Mar 2021. Read the original here.
We are living through a time of fear – not just of the virus, but of each other
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“3 months jail or £2.5k fine for a nomadic life without a travellers passport”…
I’m not a lawyer but surely that part of the Bill clashes directly with much stronger UK legislation to protect individuals (eg gypsies) against racial discrimination? How come ANYONE thought they could get it through? The Home Office has lawyers to advise it!
Gypsies are nomadic, it’s their cultural norm to be so and is therefore a “protected legal characteristic”. Anyone trying to stop gypsies maintaining their way of life / culture is committing an offence – whether that person is the home secretary or a police constable.
You can’t dodge the issue either by saying “we’ll hand out travellers’ passports” free of charge to anyone claiming to be a gypsy”.
It’s wrong in law to favour any one group over another – so if all gypsies are entitled to travellers’ passports which give them special privileges, you can’t then deny non-gypsy nomads the same advantages.
Cook is one of the best independent voices writing on politics and society today, and this piece is a fine example of the quality of his work. People would do well to follow him in order to get all his output, you will not be disappointed.
The increasing momentum towards authoritarianism and denial of basic human rights and dissent, is fuelled by ignorance, misinformation and a complicit media [BBC +].
The “Bill” is a “state passport” to use whatever means necessary to attack our civil rights.
Sections of the Army and Police have been riot-training for years, long before this pandemic – and the Home Office have plans in place to “curb” [attack] civil “unrest” [protest / dissenters].
We have to be ready to see many arrests, police and state violence and a rabbid media ramped up to enforce the “new normal”. But we cannot stand idly by as our rights are attacked.