MORE than 200 people attended a ‘Kill the Bill’ protest in Weymouth as campaigners urged people to ‘resist an attack on our democracy’.
The march, which was monitored by two police officers, caused temporary disruption to traffic as motorists waited for the protesters to move on.
Similar protests around the country led to violent incidents in some cities but the Weymouth event was trouble-free with police reporting no incidents.
An alliance of groups and individuals, which included Dorset Trade Unions Council, Stand Up to Racism Dorset, Weymouth Animal Rights, Black Lives Matter, Unite and Extinction Rebellion, formed a protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill, which will increase police powers to crack down on protests.
Figures claim the new legislation will 'rob people of the right to protest' and give police ‘unprecedented power to crackdown on protests.’
View more photos of the protest with our interactive gallery at the top of this article
The protest began on the green around the King’s Statue at 1pm yesterday, where protesters holding placards gathered to hear various speeches criticising the proposed legislation.
Many protesters held placards with various messages of 'Kill the Bill', 'No Police Crime Bill', 'This is Authoritarianism' and 'It is not our problem that we need to stand up for what is right'.
Protesters, who were wearing face coverings and masks, were urged by organisers to follow social distancing and remain at least one metre apart from others.
The group began to march from the King’s Statue at approximately 1.40pm, where they walked onto the road along the Esplanade holding a 'Be The Change' banner.
From the Esplanade, the group moved to King Street, before turning left onto Commercial Road.
Protesters then turned onto New Bond Street where they gathered outside the former Debenhams building to hear more speeches and chants.
The protest, which ended at roughly 2.15pm, was described as a success by one of the organisers, Emma Smart, a member of Extinction Rebellion Dorchester and Weymouth.
She explained the proposed bill will affect anyone protesting or challenging Government’s actions.
“We had a meeting with other groups and three days later, here we are with 200 odd people”, she said.
“I think it is a really good example to get working together that we are much stronger together.”
While the protest caused disruption and saw some on lookers hook their horns in disagreement or shout criticism, Ms Smart believed the protest has at least sparked a conversation about the proposed bill.
She explained: “There were loads of people carrying placards and you could hear people having conversations with members of the public and that’s what we are trying to do.
“This bill is being rushed through Parliament very sneakily and quietly and we certainly weren’t quiet today with the noise and we’re hoping people will be talking about us and starting a conversation.
“This is about all of us and our democratic right to protest and hopefully some onlookers got an idea of what we’re all about.”
No arrests were made at the protest, nor were there any signs of disorder.
Dorset Police previously said it was aware of the planned protest and thanked attendees of the protest in Weymouth and Bournemouth for following the rules.
Superintendent Richard Bell, of Dorset Police, said: “I would like to thank the organisers and participants for adhering to the current restrictions.
“We have always sought to find the right balance between the rights of protestors and those of residents and businesses, while also considering the very real risks from the spread of the virus.
“Coronavirus is a deadly disease and the current legislation in relation to it aims to prevent its spread. At this time officers are trying to strike a balance between established rights and policing of COVID-19 restrictions in an effort to maintain the confidence of all groups of our communities.
“We must remember that the threat of COVID-19 remains and we must do all we can to stick within the restrictions to help keep people safe.
“As the current restrictions begin to lift over the coming months, we are asking the public to continue to play their part so that we do not undo all of the good work.”
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