The Public Order Bill ‘Fundamentally Threatens’ UK Democracy

In the UK there are several Bills, some of which have recently become Acts that may threaten the right to free speech under UK and international Law. The right to free speech and the right to assemble is protected under the Article 10 of the the Human Rights Act (HRA) and under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Freedom of speech, protects the right to express and disseminate opinions, ideas and information through any means, as well as to disagree with, and hold authorities to account. Executive Director of advocacy group Article 19, Quinn McKew has made it her mission to do just that.

In the latest instalment of our Big Questions series, she tells us all about the work that Article 19 does and outlines why we should worried about the Public Order Bill.

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[friendoftellus]

This has for some time been my impression too !!! It is no longer only the us; the uk is developing more and more into a police state; where not even the most fundamental human and democratic rights is allowed !!!!

[chosenundead]

its crazy the more conservative a nation is the more totalitarian they get

[matlister]

Freedom of expression doesn’t include vandalism and willful criminal damage. I’m all for freedom of speech but there is a right way to express it. As for the racism comments it’s growing from all races in the uk at each other and a lot of the segregation in communities is down to the breakdown of community and family units as a whole and that’s down to social ideas and lack of respect and responsibility for people’s own actions and not the system. I grew up in Cambridge (one of uks most diverse and excepting city’s) and the change started in the UK 15-20 years ago with the loss of the sense of community and a rise in self entitlements and lack of responsibility for own actions. What I’m getting at is the bill is a good idea to stop criminal damage and outlawing blocking traffic (the same as it’s against the law in a car to block the highway) there is ways to get a point across to the public but pissing them off and Turing them against what you stand for is not the right one