Protests against anti-freedom of speech laws and in solidarity with Palestinians combine
Kill the Bill Official has called for a fourth national day of action this Saturday 29 May and expects to see increased national action as the movement grows. In London, the protest will be attended by former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn who will be speaking at the event.
This date was chosen by the organisation to coincide closely with the 1-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. The Black Lives Matter movement sparked in the US, UK and elsewhere by his death is, as the government has stated, part of the reason why the Tories are attempting to take such draconian steps towards restricting peaceful protest and muzzling the UK’s democracy.
The anti-Black racism in the UK is still rife: UN independent human rights experts accused the recently-released Sewell report of trying to “normalize white supremacy” and the experts also condemned the reports attempts to explain away racial disparities in the report as results of individual circumstance whilst ignoring the wider role society plays in perpetuating these disparities.
The UK government was also one of only twelve to vote against a UN resolution to fight racial discrimination.
This racial inequality is a huge part of what brought huge crowds of protesters onto the streets last summer to protest the murder of George Floyd. This was not only an act of international solidarity: there are very real reasons why those of African descent living in the UK are rightly outraged.
Marvina Eseoghene Newton of Kill the Bill Official has said:
Protest is a way for people to make themselves heard in a society that refuses to listen. Marginalised communities do not protest out of choice but out of necessity. If the government took steps to build a just and equitable society for everyone there would be no need for us to take to the streets and demand it. The passing of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill will criminalise and further disenfranchise the most vulnerable in our society including Black people, GRT communities and others who dare to speak out.
However, the Queen’s speech earlier this month showed that the government’s plans with only worsen this injustice and inequity. Many of the areas highlighted in the speech are deeply troubling, including new migration laws seeking to block refugees, culture war issues like freedom of speech and, of course, the authoritarian PCSC Bill. As always, the rights of ordinary people are not granted by the powerful but have to be won through action, solidarity, and resistance.
Another act which has sparked an outpouring of international solidarity and resistance in the UK is the recent war in Gaza and the violence suffered by the people of Palestine. More Palestinian families are being evicted from their homes in Jerusalem and the Israeli military has bombed civilian homes in Gaza, often giving families mere minutes notice before they decided to strike. Hundreds of civilians, including many children, have been killed. Even after a nominal ceasefire, the Al Aqsa mosque was again raided.
Last Saturday huge numbers of people took to the streets in London and elsewhere to protest these ongoing human rights abuses. According to news sources more than 150,000 people gathered in London to protest in a landmark act of solidarity. Kill the Bill Official and United for Black Lives supported the protest; Delia Mattis, and organiser from both groups, spoke at the event saying:
The scenes we have seen from Palestine are truly horrific and show a complete disregard for human life and an othering of an entire people. This is the logical conclusion of colonialization which we have seen across the globe many times before, often perpetrated by the UK. The support which has poured out of this country has been truly amazing to see. We stand united with the people of Palestine in their
struggle and commend all of the protesters that took to the streets. If the government has their way speaking out against such events will soon be punishable by a hefty fine or prison sentence. We cannot let the PCSC Bill come between us and solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also sent a message to those who support the protesters’ aims:
Increasing authoritarianism verging on fascism in the UK makes it clear that here as well as across the globe, citizens need to come together to fight for our human rights and in some cases their right to exist. Protesters rightly say that the fact that these rights are not and never have been freely given should be at the forefront of our minds as these events unfold and that taking action is essential.
Mattis added:
If you are unable to attend a physical event or would like to further educate yourselves on the Black Struggle Kill the Bill Official please follow our social media pages and post the hashtag #KilltheBill.
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In a country without a written and “endorsed-by-the-people” constitution, it is important to remember that all political advances for ordinary people have been achieved by civil demonstration, and if necessary, civil disobedience.
We have to remember this point before anything else, because otherwise, no social progress is possible.
Ludus 57You are so very very right to raise a important and dangerous threat to democracy “No Constitution” and wonder why the Labour party has never had the guts to challenge the establishment on this the first step to becoming a true democracy A written statement of intent for the people and by the people.This effectively means via the ,Royal perogative “almost any draconian laws against the people can be allowed to be nodded through..Using the ancient system of prerogative was and is used to bypass laws and parliament to inact laws without any discussion in parliament.Kill Bill will be just one of the many laws were the Royal prerogative will be used if their is enough Opposition in Parliament and thats a favt of living in a country where Monarchy rules even to the death penalty for those who commit whats described as “High treason” ..One must wonder why weve never had a written statement of a Constitution and I fear we are about to find out whilst the people sleepwalk backwards.
It will be interesting to see who gets more media coverage, this or the anti-vaccine passport demo also happening in London on Saturday. Both have growing supporter numbers and if the half million who took part in the last big a-v p demo turn up again, London is going to be chock-a-block!
Indeed, timfrom.
Difference is, racism happens irrespective of how the MSM reports or misreports the BLM event, but the take up of ‘experimental’ (possibly dangerous) mRNA drug-therapy jab, associated curfew, economic decimation, job-loss, sme business collapse, NHS paralysis, etc., etc., only happen because the MSM is carefully orchestrating systemic misinformation. In other words, the media doesn’t create racism, but it does create the fear, panic and resultant compliance that dictators and right-wing governments always foster to augment their control which is what the “pandemic” is becoming.
I hope Sasha is okay, no media are commenting on how she is doing, has anyone seen any updates since Critical? Media seems more interested in whodunnit that her actual well-being! I would rather hear she is doing fine and out of ITU, than whodunnit!
Interesting how the Met used a black officer so that she can say ‘black men’, I thought we got over Profiling in the Media! Profiling needs to be kept on Police Records, the Investigation Room and in Our GP/Medical Records! That could be tampering with Evidence! They must have some irrefutable evidence to back that claim, if the case is still open.
Well! Sasha! You better get your strength back soon!
Your work here is NOT DONE YET!
You ain’t going anywhere, but the Streets with your Fist Raised!
Best Wishes to Comrade Sasha!
This says 12 o’clock GMT. We are now on British Summer time. So what time is it really?
GRT Great
GRT Good Rockin’ Tonight
GRT Gross Register Tonnage (cargo measurement; shipping)
GRT Glimcher Realty Trust
GRT Gene Replacement Therapy
GRT Goruck Tough (team activity)
GRT Grand River Transit (Waterloo, Canada)
GRT Group Randomized Trial (clinical trial)
GRT General Relativity Theory
GRT Gross Receipt Tax
GRT Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
GRT Global Relief Technologies (Portsmouth, NH)
GRT Group Rapid Transit
GRT Grand Rapids Technologies (avionic instrument company)
GRT Gruppo per le Relazioni Transculturali
GRT Gestionnaires de Réseau de Transport (French)
GRT Ground Resonance Testing
GRT Germanium Resistance Thermometer
GRT Generic Real Time
GRT Government Rate Tender
GRT Granular Restore Technology (Symantec Inc.)
GRT Ground Receive Terminal
GRT Gravity Race Tour (cycling)
GRT Gold Rush Trail
GRT Ground Readiness Test
GRT General Range Types (forestry)
GRT Gross Registered Tonnage/Tons
GRT General Radiologic Technologist
GRT Ground Radio Transmitter
GRT General Reactor Technology
GRT Governor Response Tester
GRT Gross Requirement TapeI dont know what GRT stands for so I googled it.
Life is so complicated these days.
Voters in Batley and Spen will go to the polls on July 1,
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/batley-and-spen-by-election-set-for-july-1-as-jo-coxs-sister-kim-leadbeater-aims-to-retain-seat-for-labour-3252039
‘Kill the Bill’. Protests in conjunction with Black Lives Matter & now I have a problem. BLM hijacks every protest as though it were an integral part, but I disagree. BLM is endorsed by celebrity culture & every major institution. Every tv programme & advertisement on television promotes it as the acceptable face of Neo-Liberal Globalism. Murdoch’s chum Tom Newton Dunn criticised football supporters for challenging the meaningless ‘bend the knee ritual’ that takes place B4 every elite Premier League fixture by multi-millionaire footballers with the usual bourgeois accusations of racism. The smugs reserve the right to virtue signal & ignore the class struggle.