Dear John
They want to stop us protesting in Parliament
Square. We must not let them.
Clauses in the government’s Police, Crime,
Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will be debated in the House of
Lords next week, will impose a blanket ban on protesting within
hearing range of the House of Commons Chamber.
The UK’s democracy is built on the bedrock of
freedoms for the British people. Please sign the petition now and
oppose the erosion of our rights to make our voices heard in
Parliament.
There is hope, however. Best for Britain is working
closely with peers to amend the bill to secure the right to protest in
Parliament Square and we are supporting two new amendments to the
Bill, which I am proud to have helped draft. Find out more here.
Clause 59 of the bill would, through complex and
technical means, impose an effective ban on large-scale demonstrations
in Parliament Square, removing protest and dissent from an place where
it might have great influence.
The Government wants to limit the ways ordinary
people can challenge them. I hope you, like me, agree this is not how
a modern democratic government should behave.
By changing this one part of the bill, we can hope
to retain this vital method of holding power to account. Protests are
meant to make an impact - and that is something I fear this Government
does not want. Sign the petition today - and make sure your voice can
still be heard.
Whatever our political differences, it is important
that we are all allowed to air them freely and fairly. That’s
something my political career has taught me, and I want to preserve
that right for future generations.
Best wishes,
Dominic Grieve
Former Attorney General for England and Wales
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