29th
Mar 2021
Another activists group, Acorn, responsible for anti-landlord protests in front of agents’ workplaces and even outside their homes, is vehemently opposing a new Bill that has had its second reading in Parliament which intends to crackdown on some forms of protests.
The highly controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - which also features other government proposals for crime and justice which means that police will be given more powers for some types of demonstrations.
At the moment if police want to stop a protest from going ahead they have to highlight how it could cause, "serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community".
Whilst the Bill is going through the parliamentary process and if passed Police chiefs will have powers to impose start and finish times, as well as setting a maximum noise limit which is not just restricted to mass protests but for single person demonstrations.
The activist group has been responsible for many ant-landlord and agent campaigns over the past few months throughout the country, some of which were outside landlord’s homes and in one separate incident at a Home Counties agency two people were placed in custody.
Acorn is now urging social media to give the proposed Bill the nickname ‘PoliceCrackdownBill’ and has tweeted: “The #PoliceCrackdownBill will give police more power to stop protests, criminalise [traveller] communities, and prioritise the rights of rich landowners at the expense of our right to roam.”
The group has tweeted the Bill “simply cannot be tolerated” and tells its followers to contact MPs and “demand they protect rights and civil liberties.”
The two arrests of the Acorn activists were carried after a group tried to force its way into a lettings agency in High Wycombe’s town centre.
The Bucks Free Press quoted a local police spokesperson saying: “Officers attended and arrested a man, aged 21, on suspicion of criminal damage. He has since been released under investigation. A woman, aged 27, was also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and bailed.”
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