The Muslim Council of Britain on Monday urged the Parliament's House of Lords to reject government amendments to a controversial policing bill, which campaigners say would give police new powers to clamp down on demonstrators
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2022) The Muslim Council of Britain on Monday urged the Parliament's House of Lords to reject government amendments to a controversial policing bill, which campaigners say would give police new powers to clamp down on demonstrators.
"The MCB calls upon members of the House of Lords to reject Part 3 of the bill in its entirety, as well as other measures which infringe upon the right to protest," the largest Muslim organization in the UK said in a statement.
Some sections of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill grant police the power to ban demonstrations that they consider to be "seriously disruptive," including those deemed too noisy, and impose specific measures on the routes of marches.
If passed, the legislation would give law enforcement officers more stop and search powers and allow judges to pass sentences of up to 10 years in prison on people found guilty of damaging memorials or statues.
It also targets the Gypsy, Roma and traveler communities, as they could be criminalized by measures against residing on land without authorization.
"The new measures in this bill expand police powers and make a draconian bill even more restrictive, further eroding our civil liberties. Furthermore, these measures will exacerbate pre-existing disparities in policing and the criminal justice system. This toxic legislation must be opposed," MCB secretary-general Zara Mohammed was quoted as saying.
The bill will undergo its final examination by the Parliaments upper chamber later on Monday before returning to the House of Commons.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the UK to demand respect for their right to protest as part of the Kill the Bill campaign.
