Thread by @PHMMcr

Protest has long paved the way for reforms we consider fundamental today. The #PolicingBill threatens to silence already marginalised voices. Through our collections, we will explore the past, present and future of powerful protests shaping a fairer society for all.

This handkerchief commemorates the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, when 60,000 peaceful protesters gathered to demand the right to vote. The brutal reaction of the yeomanry shocked the nation. This protest was a turning point on the road to democratic reform #PolicingBill

#VotesForWomen campaigners faced opposition, from ridicule by the press to arrest and force-feeding in prison. The movement was complex. Suffragists were law-abiding whereas some suffragettes broke the law for the cause. #PolicingBill risks criminalising peaceful protestors.

In February 1988, around 25,000 people in Manchester protested against Section 28, legislation that prohibited the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools and councils. #NeverGoingUnderground was a defiant declaration by the LGBT+ community demanding equal rights #PolicingBill

Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN) protested against disability discrimination - which was allowed by law. Their actions helped achieve the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Campaigners continue to fight for disabled rights today #PolicingBill

Photo: Tony Baldwinson

The #BlackLivesMatter movement began in 2013. Protests swept the globe in 2020 with placards at this demo highlighting police brutality and discrimination. Increased police powers and threat of arrest will disproportionately impact black people #PolicingBill

Photo: Jake Hardy

Young people have been making their voices heard with the School Strikes for Climate since 2019. As they do not have the right to vote, protest is a key way for young people to make the government listen. Young people could be unnecessarily criminalised by #PolicingBill

#PolicingBill makes the future of protest uncertain. By their very nature, protests are noisy and disruptive. The proposals around noise, annoyance and disruption are too vague and present a significant threat to peaceful protest including the risk of a 10 year prison sentence.

Join us in defending the right to protest by writing to your MP, campaigning on social media, or signing this petition: bit.ly/3kfvKkZ #PolicingBill