Thread by @HUCKmagazine

good afternoon, this is @bencsmoke, Huck’s politics editor, reporting from central london where today’s #killthebill demonstration is underway. there’s a carnival atmosphere here as a crowd of thousands slowly make their way down Park Lane

today there are demonstrations due to take place in over 30 towns and cities across the country. they have come together under the #killthebill banner to demonstrate against the policing bill, which is making its way through parliament.

the bill has been met by fierce opposition on the streets and from some MPs. here @zarahsultana, labour MP for coventry south writes for Huck about why she’s opposing the bill. she’s due to address crowds in Parliament Square later huckmag.com/perspectives/m…

this weekend of action comes after weeks of sustained action and demonstrations on the streets have seen violent clashes and instances of police brutality. you can read more about what’s been happening in Bristol here: huckmag.com/perspectives/r…

last weekend, Huck was in Bristol and reported on the violent break up of a peaceful protest by avon and somerset police. you can see full coverage of that demo here:

the crowd here in london is slowly making its way towards buckingham palace and then on to parliament. people here are loud and energised, chanting “kill the bill”

shouts of “prince andrews‘s a paedo” and other anti-monarchy chants as the crowd pauses outside buckingham palace

there’s music blasting from a soundsystem and a competing samba band as the second half of the demo makes its way down towards buckingham palace. above the din chants of “kill the bill” and “fuck the police” can be heard

someone sets off a pink smoke flare as the march moves slowly past the palace

there are thousands of people here, with loads of different groups and organisations represented. from feminist groups, left organisations, XR+ more people are united in their opposition to the bill. the crowd slowly marches past st james park to parliament.

the crowd cheers as they near parliament square. there are dozens of police vans lining adjoining streets and officers on horseback stationed by the park.

people stream into parliament square as many sit on the ground. outside parliament a line of police are stood behind a set of barriers

huge crowds here as more people stream in and speakers lead chants.

huge cheers and a standing ovation as @jeremycorbyn takes to the stage. he thanks everyone for standing up for the right to protest before talking about a series of pieces of anti-protest legislation that have been passed through parliament.

“it’s the brave people who have stood up that have changed history” -@jeremycorbyn. he goes on to talk about the history of struggle, from suffragettes, trade unionism and the anti-apartheid movement and how integral protest has been too them.

“i stand with the gypsy, romani and traveller community” says @jeremycorbyn to huge cheers before stating “the road to oppression is the silence of the majority”

“democracy and rights were never handed down from above...i want to live in a world of peace and justice. in a world of human rights” @jeremycorbyn finishes to huge applause and chants of “oh, jeremy corbyn”

“this bill is an attack on us all” -@zarahsultana

“the labour party has to oppose this bill. this isnt the time for talking about defending human rights. actions speak louder than words.everyone has a part to play including the labour party...i’m with you in the streets, with you in parliament, with you on tiktok” -@zarahsultana

as speeches continue a group of demonstrators dance around a soundsystem in the middle of the junction outside parliament

tense standoff as the police try to clear a path for blocked traffic

van edges forward as the crowd jostle with the police. shouts of “all coppers are bastards”

a police hat was thrown from the crowd and another protestor caught it, a group of police violently apprehend the person who caught it. elsewhere someone has been pepper sprayed and is having their eyes flushed. it’s very heated here.

huge numbers of police here moving in from different parts of the junction, pushing protestors who respond in kind. it’s loud and febrile.

violent scenes as huge line of police move in

there are intermittent roving battles between protestors and police as the later rush into the crowd. people here are angry. chants of “who’s streets? our streets”. seen at least one other person who was pepper sprayed.

the van that was the start of the standoff has now been escorted out of the square leaving behind a crowd of angry protestors facing off at various different places with lines of police.

a group of protestors dance around a soundsystem as a semblance of calm returns but as police numbers around the square mass feels doubtful that it will last too long.

large numbers of riot police massing in the streets around the square

a line of riot police begin to move into the junction. the crowd masses in front of them. there’s a stand off as people shout “no justice, no peace” and “A C A B all cops are bastards”

separate police line advances from another part of the square, manhandling a protestor as they do.

huge number of riot police just been marched in to protect the churchill statue (which has been largely ignored by protestors)

police move into the junction and force the crowd down whitehall towards downing street chants of “kill the bill”

chants of “boris is a racist” outside downing street as others in the crowd encourage everyone to keep moving. people respond and start marching up towards trafalgar.

protestors dance to dubstep in the road blocking traffic at the trafalgar square gyratory as a large line of police approaches

police move in to clear the road

police move to clear the north side of the gyratory

traffic at a standstill as police try to keep protestors off the road. it’s extremely chaotic here. half formed lines, protestors running round, chants of “kill the bill”

extremely heated here

it’s carnage here as group after group of riot police launch themselves into protestors. people here on their hands and knees being hit by batons.

police grab a protestor from the crowd into a group of officers and force him to the ground to arrest him. “you all saw he was warned” one officer says as he points at the crowd.

protests moves away from trafalgar square down the strand. protestors tip over bins and leave them in the road as they move past charing cross

protestors create road blocks as they move along the strand. someone smashes up a phone box as other tell them not too. one shouts “smash the banks not the telephone boxes”

protestors pull harris fencing down and block the road. they’re sprinting down the strand as riot police approach from behind.

police have moved in and formed a kettle on aldwych. less than 100 protestors left now after a breathless sprint down the strand.

police now clearing area around the cordon and telling everyone to go home. journalists being given the option of going in the kettle or leaving.

as the kettle continues its time to wrap up our on the ground coverage for now. i’ll jump back on this thread once i’m home and do a round up of what happened in other cities. thanks all for following along so far, and solidarity to all still out on the streets ✊🏼

jumping back on this thread to report that police have arrested two legal observers.

this is the second time that this has happened of late. civil liberties organisation @libertyhq have an ongoing legal challenge against the last instance.

this video from someone still in the kettle speaks of protestors having to request medical assistance.

demonstrations have been taking place in cities across the country today against the bill. this from bristol shows the demo ongoing, with protestors dancing on the streets.

hundreds of protestors gathered in Manchester and marched around the streets chanting and occupying the tram tracks. last week protestors did the same and police were widely criticised for stripping a young woman in public as they attempted to arrest her.

in Brighton, hundreds of demonstrators turned out and marched through the streets. here they can be seen staging a sit in at the clocktower in the centre of the city

for continuing coverage of the Bristol protests this evening @novaramedia's @RivkahBrown is on the ground and has been reporting through the day in this thread:

more footage emerging of the violence in London today. this clip appears to show a metropolitan police officer kneeling on the neck of a protestor as they arrest them.