Protesters oppose Crime Bill in Dalton Square

A National Day of Action took place in Lancaster and Morecambe to protest the upcoming PCSC Bill last Saturday, May 29th.

Attendees were protesting the 307-page Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which plans to expand police powers in multiple ways, including the powers to decide where, when and how citizens are allowed to protest.

There are additional concerns that the Bill criminalises the way of life of Gypsy and Traveller communities by refusing to providing adequate sites and permitted stopping places.

The event was organised by Kill the Bill Lancaster, an organisation created to oppose the PCSC Bill. The group shared their unease via Facebook, saying the bill “is being rushed through parliament during a pandemic and before civil society and the public have been able to fully understand its profound implications.”

The day’s events stretched over six hours starting at 12 pm with a demo and banner drop at Morecambe Stone Jetty, followed by a Banner Walk from Morecambe to Lancaster at 1 pm.

There was also a demo outside MP, David Morris’, office at 3 pm, and to conclude, a Festival of Resistance in Dalton Square at 6pm.

Protesters also showed support to other humanitarian causes such as climate change and Palestinian liberation.

Nick Danby, a speaker at the protest, told the Tab: “I’m not doing it for myself, I’ve got a comfortable life and I can just opt-out completely from protesting if I want to because the future isn’t going to affect me particularly. But students have got 50/60/70 years ahead of them, they need to get involved since their right to protest, their right to democratic channels will be removed completely.

“The most serious challenge isn’t Brexit, never mind the pandemic. The biggest challenge for all of us is environmental change. It is a crisis that is already happening and if we don’t act urgently, it’ll be too late. Once they reach what they call the tipping point, we get hyper heating of the environment, the damage is done and we all die.

“The planet will probably heal, but we won’t be there to see it.”

Kill the Bill Lancaster continues to organise weekly smaller-scale protests every Saturday, 6 pm, at Dalton Square.

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