This
has a lot to do with the weird locdown rules - over the years the
collapse of the conomy (which will be blamed on the virus) and the
environmental crisis will normally lead to more and more protests and
the Governments of this country and elsewhere do not want that
Protest exemption set to be removed from England lockdown rules
The Guardian November 3 2020
Expected move is met with fierce criticism from campaigners and human rights groups
Protections for protesters are set to be removed from the coronavirus
rules under the second national lockdown, it has emerged, provoking
anger from human rights groups and campaigners.
An exemption that permits demonstrations to take place with
additional conditions designed to mitigate the spread of the virus is
expected to be omitted from fresh regulations being drawn up for the
lockdown that will commence from this Thursday.
There have been a series of a high-profile protests since the
pandemic erupted in the UK including rallies for racial equality led by
the Black Lives Matter movement, racist counter-demonstrations and marches against lockdown measures directed by conspiracy theorists and extremists.
While
there will be no explicit ban on protests in the regulations, the
removal of the exemption will render organising large-scale lawful
protest almost impossible.
The expected move, first revealed by the Times, has been met with fierce criticism from campaigners and human rights groups.
Tyrek Morris, the co-founder of All Black Lives UK, a youth-led
campaign group born out of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, said:
“With regards to protesting, and protesting through the pandemic, one
thing that is clear, we have no support from the government in any way
shape or form.”
Morris said protests organised by All Black Lives UK had faced a
heavy handed response, despite meeting the criteria set out by the
exemption.
“Since the BLM movement arose again, the government has been
completely against our protest, against protest full stop, and at every
chance possible have tried to stop us. But we’ve always found a way
around it. They could stop us protesting, but they can’t stop us
fighting for our own rights.”
Morris said criticism of the current government was implicit in the
All Black Lives UK protests. “We have criticism for the way the
government has mishandled the coronavirus pandemic, for how black people
are more likely to suffer from this pandemic, we’ve been very vocal
about Boris Johnson and his racist tendencies, his previous comments. So this does not come as a shock to me. They don’t want to hear us talk.”
Rosalind Comyn, the policy and campaigns manager at Liberty, the
human rights group, said: “We should all be able to stand up for what we
believe in. In a healthy democracy protest is one way we do that, and
that’s why any measures which stop people expressing dissent are deeply
worrying and should be treated with suspicion.
“We have always supported proportionate measures to protect lives,
but people must not be criminalised en masse for voicing opposition to
government action – even in the context of a pandemic. What’s more,
parliament has been sidelined at every turn of this government’s
pandemic response, making protest even more important than ever to
ensure everyone’s voices are heard.
“The government and police must commit to uphold their duty to facilitate protest so we can stand up to power.”
A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion
UK, which has staged climate protests since the pandemic outbreak,
said: “Only a government keenly aware of its epic failing would bring in
such extreme restrictions to protest.
“These are the actions of a government not willing to listen to its
citizens. Studies over the last year have found that protests held
outdoors do not lead to spikes in infection rates. This is clearly a
political choice at a time when the government needs to be held to
account on many fronts.”
When the regulations were refreshed for the new three-tiered system
in England, the wording explicitly said a clause about gatherings of
more than six was applicable to protests.
The clause in effect permitted individuals to gather in a group of
more than six for the purposes of protest as long as the following rules
were satisfied:
The gathering has been organised by a business, a charity, a
benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body, or a political
body.
The organiser of the protest has carried out a risk assessment that meets the requirements of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
The organiser has taken all reasonable steps to limit the risk of
transmission of coronavirus, in line with the risk assessment and with
any relevant government guidance.
But while the clause remains in the new lockdown regulations, which
were published late on Tuesday, the explicit reference to “protests” has
vanished.
Whitehall sources told the Guardian the change was spearheaded by the
Covid-19 taskforce and was designed to make the rules simpler.
But a senior police source told the Guardian they feared being “left
in the middle” by any dropping of the protections for protests and also
would rather there was a clear-cut regulation, rather than something
vague and open to interpretation. “It’s going to be difficult,” the
source said.
Police are saying they are already under strain from trying to impose
existing Covid regulations, with regular crime returning to normal
levels, having plunged during the first lockdown.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The right to peaceful protest is
one of the cornerstones of our democracy. In these unprecedented
circumstances, any gathering risks spreading the disease, leading to
more deaths, so it is vital we all play our part in controlling the
virus.
“People must follow the rules on meeting with others, which apply to
all gatherings and therefore protests too. As they have done throughout
the pandemic, the police and local authorities will engage, explain and
encourage people to follow the rules before moving on to enforce the
law.”
Quick guide: What you can and can't do in England's new national Covid lockdown
New national restrictions are due to come into effect in England on
Thursday, after MPs vote on them, and remain in place at least until 2
December.
What can I leave home for?
- For childcare or education, where it is not provided online.
- To go to work unless it can be done from home.
- Outdoor exercise either with household members or with one person from another household.
- For all medical reasons and appointments.
- To escape injury or harm, such as domestic abuse.
- To provide care for vulnerable people or volunteer.
- To shop for food and essentials.
- To see people in your support bubble.
- Children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated.
Government say the list is not exhaustive, and other permitted
reasons for leaving home may be set out later. People could face fines
from police for leaving their home without a legally permitted excuse.
Can different households mix indoors?
No, not unless they are part of an “exclusive” support bubble, which
allows a single-person household to meet and socialise with another
household.
Parents are allowed to form a childcare bubble with another household
for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under.
Can different households mix outdoors?
People are allowed to meet one person from another household socially
and for exercise in outdoor public spaces, which does not include
private gardens.
Can I attend funerals, weddings or religious services?
Up to 30 people will still be allowed to attend funerals, while stone
settings and ash scatterings can continue with up to 15 guests.
Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are not permitted except in
“exceptional circumstances”. Places of worship must remain closed
except for voluntary services, individual prayer and other exempt
activities.
Can I travel in the UK or abroad for a holiday?
Most outbound international travel will be banned. There is no
exemption for staying away from home for a holiday. This means people
cannot travel internationally or within the UK, unless for work,
education or other legally permitted exemptions.
Which businesses will close?
Everything except essential shops and education settings, which include nurseries, schools and universities, will close.
Entertainment venues will also have to close. Pubs, restaurants and
indoor and outdoor leisure facilities will have to close their doors
once more.
However, takeaway and delivery services will still be allowed, while construction and manufacturing will stay open.
Parents will still be able to access registered childcare and other
childcare activities where reasonably necessary to enable parents to
work. Some youth services may be able to continue, such as one-to-one
youth work, but most youth clubs will need to close their doors.
Public services, such as jobcentres, courts, and civil registration offices will remain open.
There is no exemption for grassroots organised team sports. Elite
sports will be allowed to continue behind closed doors as currently,
including Premier League football matches.
