Kill the Bill Protest

The Police Crime and Sentencing Bill (PCSB) introduced into Parliament was an attempt by Government to limit large-scale disruptive protest of a kind that has been used by climate and BLM activists.

Under new powers, the police could set conditions on whether a protest could go ahead. A protest could be deemed illegitimate if it was deemed to annoy the public, local community or local businesses.

If passed PCSB would remove a powerful tool in the armoury of mass protest, as well as granting police and the Home Secretary new powers over the right to protest. In addition to the right to protest, PCSB pushed for new sentencing guidelines of up to 10 years for damaging statutes and new stop and search powers to identify equipment that would facilitate certain protest methods such as locking on. The implications of the Bill were not immediately clear to the public. The limitations on rights of protest were inserted into the Bill during its progress through the Commons and then the Lords. The Bill also contained measures on crime and sexual violence – measures that a broad swath of the public would welcome.

Protest spread across the country as the reality of what might result if it was passed became clear. The slogan Kill the Bill was revived for this campaign. Kill the Bill also became a rallying point for a range of causes: anti-racism, environmental, refugees and Travellers. Provisions in the Act allowing for the arrest of persons and seizure of vehicles found on land without permission have been seen by many in the traveller community as an existential threat to their way of life. Protests against the Bill, composed of this broad by this broad coalition occurred across the country.  

The first major demonstration against the Bill was held on the 21st of March 2021. After a peaceful afternoon, the march descended into a violent clash between police officers and groups of protesters. Both sides blamed each other for the conflagration.  

Further clashes followed after the 21st as more protests were held in Bristol. Many eyewitnesses have argued the police action in these subsequent protests was heavy-handed. Some question if the police were exacting revenge for the unexpected outbreak of violence on the 21st 

Community artist and activist Barbara Cook was concerned by the language of the protest and questioned if it may have encouraged an adversarial spirit. Later that year Barbara began a lone Peace Vigil on College Green. Passionately opposed to the Bill, she wanted to provide an alternative spirit of protest.  

In this extract, Barbara describes her career as an artist and the Peace Vigil.