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Extinction Rebellion protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
A multigenerational protest on Thursday, April 15 saw Extinction Rebellion activists stop traffic in the city centre.
Older people and families with young children marched from Castle Park to City Hall before having a picnic near Park Street.
The group were protesting against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, a controversial act which has seen weeks of protests take place in Bristol.
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The group was led by grandparents from the XR Rebel Elders group, who said they were creating a space for young people and families to protest against the controversial bill.
XR are one of the many groups protesting against the Bill, which they say will infringe on the human right to protest saying that this protest was to specially to highlight the impact it could have on future generations.
Extinction Rebellion march and picnic to protest against the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Photo: Simon Holliday
“I’m bringing my children up to think and speak for themselves.” says Chloe Naldrett, mother and member of XR Families.
“I don’t want them to live in a world where they are afraid to raise their voices for fear of being criminalized. They have every right to speak out about the things that affect the world they are inheriting. We are protesting today against this bill because their future is too important for us to stay silent.”
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would give police powers to stop protests deemed to be causing “serious disruption”, those which are too loud or those deemed to be causing “annoyance”, with a new maximum sentence for anyone breaking those laws now placed at ten years.
Extinction Rebellion’s picnic protest. Photo: Simon Holliday
Protests in Bristol and across the UK have seen groups and individuals act against the Bill, which is deemed by many to be harmful and a breach of human rights.
“As young people, we are exhausted by trying to fight for a liveable future whilst also fighting a government that would see us imprisoned for doing just that”, says Poppy from XR Youth.
“The continuous attempts to silence us will only push us to fight harder for our rights as well as the rights of anyone who feels let down by the current system.”
Main photo: Simon Holliday
Read more: ‘Kill The Bill’ protesters block roads but prevented from reaching M32
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