Kill the Bill protest held in St Helen’s Square York

The protest was fighting against the new police crackdown bill


A #KilltheBill protest was held in St Helen’s Square on Wednesday 17th March at 5pm. This was in response to the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill proposed by Priti Patel and Cressida Dick. The bill, which puts new restrictions on protests, passed its second reading through the House of Commons but it is not yet law.

Image credit Amelia Davidson

Kill the Bill protests have been seen around the country including at Scotland Yard and the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, following the police handling of the vigil for Sarah Everard and against the new proposed bill.

The York Tab spoke to York Student Solidarity Network who said: “We’ve seen our right to protest slowly stripped away over the pandemic. But it is clear now; this stripping away of rights had little to do with people’s safety in the pandemic and everything to do with suppressing the rights of people to organise around issues which the government does not agree with.

“Protest is by nature disruptive, if we are protesting, it is to get the government to stop and look at us, to acknowledge an issue that they would have otherwise ignored. If they take away this mechanism, they are taking away our democracy. This is why we are in full support of Kill the Bill York.”

Image credit Amelia Davidson

An attendee of the event, Sarah, called the protest “The most significant thing ever” and said her key reason for going was to raise marginalised voices.

Another anonymous attendee highlighted: “Some people are marked and others unmarked” and so it is trying to raise the voices of the marked and marginalised people.

For more information on Kill the Bill York visit the protest’s Instagram here.

Image credit Amelia Davidson

Featured image, Amelia Davidson

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