AROUND 150 people gathered in Worcester’s Cathedral Square on Saturday and braced the elements to protest the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, writes Callum Perry.
If approved the bill would see increased powers given to the police to stop protests and could see demonstrators fined, arrested and ultimately convicted for breaching the legislation.
Protestors from local Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter and the Socialist Party were all in attendance.
Speakers from each group took it turns to deliver their speeches and making references to climate change, the death and vigil of Sarah Everard and to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Handmade signs and placards were held by the crowd with some reading ‘Are We Being too loud Priti Patel?’, “Defend our right to protest’, ‘Protest is vital for change’ and ‘Protect our rights’.
Police were stationed around Cathedral Square to ensure the safety of the public and to prevent the protest from turning violent and getting civilians and bystanders from getting hurt.
The protest remained peaceful despite one man who was seen wearing a bright red ‘Make America great again’ baseball hat where he chanted ‘All lives matter.’
The man who refused to provide his name proclaimed he was there ‘to protect the Elgar statue and prevent it from being damaged’.
