Lincolnshire Extinction Rebellion climate activists to join Kill the Bill protest in London

Local Extinction Rebellion members will be travelling to London to oppose the bill as it gets its final reading in the House of Lords on January 17.

Protesters are urging the House of Lords to throw out 19 amendments which were added by Home Secerary Priti Patel, and which could be seen as avoiding parliamentary scrutiny.

There have been other Kill the Bill protests in Lincolnshire last year, as members of the climate group believe the Bill is a direct attack on the right to peaceful protest.

Partly reacting to incidents such as the Insulate Britain protestors blocking motorways around London and others outside the warehouses of major businesses, the Bill would see more police powers to shut down demonstrations, impose time and noise limits.

There would be stronger sentencing protestors, including lengthy prison terms, with the Home Secretary able to judge what was deemed a protest.

There have been protests across the country about the bill.

Lincolnshire-ased activist, Rosemary Robinson said: “I will be drumming with the Samba band at the protest. Samba is a great way of bringing activists together and spreading the word about the climate emergency.

“Samba creates loads of positive energy and music you can’t help dancing to. Yet, if this Government gets its way, I and many others could be arrested simply for being too noisy. In fact, I could be stopped and searched for simply carrying my drum.

“Boris Johnson likes to promote himself as a libertarian but this Bill goes against all the principles of a just, liberal democracy. It is in everyone’s interest to stop this slide towards authoritarianism.”

Eddie Francis, who will also be attending the protest said: “All my life I was taught we lived in a fair democracy. And that the right to peaceful protest was one of our rights. I’m now in my 70s and for the first time I’m really scared that this PCSC Bill will strip away that freedom which so many people gave up their lives to win.

“Under this bill protesters could be arrested just for causing annoyance and someone like me could be stopped and searched just for being near an area where a protest was happening.

“And this would affect all protest from the Countryside Alliance to climate crisis protesters.”