Hi John,

 

Last week, five non-violent Just Stop Oil activists received the longest ever sentences in the UK for a peaceful protest. This is extremely worrying and according to a UN expert ‘not acceptable in a democracy’. [1,2] 

 

What’s even more outrageous, is that these activists didn’t even take action, they’ve received the harshest ever sentences just for planning a disruptive protest on a video call. No matter your views on Just Stop Oil, this is an attack on peaceful protest.

 

Peaceful protest is a critical human right - and every healthy democracy needs it to give people the right to express their views, but that is now being threatened. 

 

The draconian laws driving this crackdown were put in place by the last Tory government. Now Labour is in power, can you join the growing chorus of people who are calling for them to be reversed - whilst retaining important related laws to protect women using abortion clinics from harassment?

It's thanks to protest that we have weekends, women are able to vote, the Arctic can't be drilled for oil - and even something as simple as the fact that you can take a walk in the countryside. [3] You might not agree with every single protest you see - but without that fundamental right, our lives would be very different. That’s why it’s vital that the right to peaceful protest is protected.

 

The UN has called for the reversal of the Public Order Act and has described it as ‘deeply troubling’, while many long-established organisations like Amnesty and Liberty expressed serious concern about the crackdown on peaceful protest these bills represent. [4,5]

 

These bills have powers to arrest people marching down the street, round up people carrying placards, allows 24/7 GPS tracking of protestors, suspicionless stop and search and more. This is all for peaceful and nonviolent protests. [6,7,8,9]

Peaceful protest is a human right - and these recent bits of legislation are an attempt to curb the rights and freedoms that people have to take action. They were brought in by a desperate Tory government looking to fuel culture wars in an attempt to win votes. It didn’t work for them, but it has drastically limited our freedoms.

 

The new government has a lot on its plate. We need to show how important this is and why they need to act immediately. Make sure you act now - add your name today. 

 

With love and solidarity, 

Anthony & Greenpeace UK

 

Notes: 

[1] Five Just Stop Oil activists receive record sentences for planning to block M25

[2] ‘Not acceptable in a democracy’: UN expert condemns lengthy Just Stop Oil sentences

[3] Does peaceful protest work?

[4] UN Human Rights Chief urges UK to reverse ‘deeply troubling’ Public Order Bill

[5] ‘The nightmare after Halloween’: Groups urge Parliament to drop resurrected anti-protest proposals

[6] The Public Order Bill: Explained

[7] The Policing Bill – What Happened, And What Now?

[8] Why you should be worried about the new Policing Bill

[9] Police make 630 arrests of climate protesters in London in one month

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