UK Muslim Council urges Parliament Upper House to reject policing bill
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The Muslim Council of Britain calls on the House of Lords to reject government amendments to a contentious policing bill of clamping down on demonstrators.
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UK Muslim Council urges Parliament upper house to reject policing bill
The Muslim Council of Britain urged the House of Lords on Monday to reject government amendments to a contentious policing bill, which campaigners say would give police new powers to crack down on protesters.
“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 give police the authority to prohibit "seriously disruptive" demonstrations, including those deemed too noisy, and to impose specific restrictions on march routes.
If passed, the legislation would give law enforcement officers more stop and search powers and allow judges to sentence people who damage memorials or statues to up to ten years in prison.
It also targets the Gypsy, Roma, and traveler communities, as measures against residing on land without authorization could criminalize them.
“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 be subjected to its final scrutiny by Parliament's upper chamber later on Monday before being returned to the House of Commons.
As part of the Kill the Bill campaign, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the UK on Saturday to demand respect for their right to protest.
