Approximately 100 people gathered outside Bangor Police Station this afternoon, Saturday 20 March, to protest against the ‘Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts’ Bill and to raise awareness of alleged police brutality and violence based on gender and race.
Local people and representatives from Black Lives Matter Gwynedd, ‘Reclaim These Streets Gwynedd’ and ‘Extinction Rebellion Bangor’ joined the protest, adhering to social distancing laws and wearing masks.
Similar protests have been occurring all over the UK since the murder of Sarah Everard, serving police officer PC Wayne Couzens has been charged with her murder, and the alleged ‘heavy handed’ response by the Metropolitan police during a vigil held in Clapham Common on 13 March.
These events have been organised to coincide with the second Parliamentary reading of the UK Government’s ‘Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts’ Bill’.
The 300-page Bill makes a wide variety of changes to the justice system in England and Wales, including suggesting longer prison sentences for defacing property than for rape.
Many aspects of the Bill have caused controversy, including the expansion of police powers to deal with protests, more stop-and-search powers, and laws about encampments that critics say will persecute Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in the UK. Various movements across the UK have come together to protest the Bill including Black Lives Matter, Extincion Rebellion and women’s rights group Sisters Uncut, amongst others.
Hywel Williams MP for Gwynedd voted against the Bill but it still passed the reading on 16 March with a vote of 359 -263. Similar protests are also taking place in Wrexham and Cardiff.
An open mic was followed by a minute of silence to honour the people we have lost due to male violence, then flowers and placards were laid down in their remembrance.
An attendee of the protest said “We want the government to protect black lives, women’s lives, trans lives, disabled people’s lives and the wellbeing of future generations. Every human being deserves safety and freedom. There should be freedom to protest when the UK government fails to do this. An end to protest is an end to democracy”
