Masked protesters could soon face arrest, says Home Office
www.theguardian.com
Rights groups say proposed police powers for England and Wales are pandering to ‘culture war nonsense’

"Protesters who wear masks could face arrest, up to a month in jail and a £1,000 fine under proposed measures that human rights campaigners claim are pandering to “culture war nonsense”.

Police in England and Wales will be given the power to arrest people if they are wearing face coverings at specific demonstrations, the Home Office has said."

Been a bad 18 months or so for privacy in the UK. Online Safety Bill passed, the right to take strike action curtailed, people in receipt of benefits (including disabled people) will soon (as from 2025) have their bank accounts open to the government, the right to protest curtailed and now this.

  • LerajeOP
    32•5 months ago

    An argument that might carry weight if you weren’t setting up hotlines for people to snitch on anything or anyone vaguely LGBTQIA+, removing books from libraries, allowing huge orgs to buy political favour, enslaving people in for-profit prison systems etc etc etc.

    • @soviettaters@lemm.ee
      3•5 months ago
      1. Kids shouldn’t be coerced into being gay.
      2. Yeah lobbying sucks I agree
      3. If people don’t want to have to work in prison then they shouldn’t commit crimes.
      • @irmoz@reddthat.com
        34•5 months ago

        Kids aren’t being “coerced into being gay”. That’s a batshit statement right there.

        Also, slavery is always bad. End of story. Putting any leeway in there is disgusting.

      • @Restaldt@lemm.eeEnglish
        18•5 months ago

        Kids are not coerced in to being gay any more than geese are

        Lobbying sucks

        We are just ignoring the litany of false accusation and arrests of innocent people forced into modern legal slave labor?

        Better hope you never piss off the wrong cop or can afford a good personally retained lawyer if you do