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Manchester city center came to a halt this afternoon as hundreds turned out to protest a new government surveillance bill.
More than 150 people joined the ‘Kill the Bill’ rally in St Peter’s Square, before heading to Piccadilly Gardens and Stevenson Square.
As they marched, protesters could be heard chanting “kill the bill,” “our streets,” and “the conservatives caused the violence.”
Protesters congregated on the tram tracks in Piccadilly Gardens, causing a temporary disruption to tram and bus services in and out of the city center.
(Image: Adam Vaughan)
Greater Manchester Police assured the public that they were monitoring the protest, but said it had been “peaceful” and “contained”.
“Officers are aware of and monitoring the protest in the city center this afternoon,” said a spokesman for the force.
“The meeting remains peaceful and contained, and patrols continue to ensure that there is no risk to the general public.”
The organizers called on the protesters to maintain social distancing during the demonstration. Most of the protesters appeared to be wearing masks.
The protesters marched from St Peter’s Square to Portland Street before stopping to sit at the Princess Street junction, paralyzing traffic.
The rally then advanced to Piccadilly Gardens, where hundreds of protesters could be heard chanting and chanting.
More than 100 people marched to Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter, where an eight-minute silence was held in memory of George Floyd.
The protesters then knelt near the monument to Floyd, who was killed while being arrested by police in Minneapolis, USA, in May 2020.
The demonstration then returned to St. Peter’s Square, where the protesters stopped again to sit on Portland Street.
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Many carried banners that read “Eliminate the bill,” while others said “defend the right to protest” and “black lives matter.”
The protest was organized by Stand up to Racism Manchester and advertised as a peaceful demonstration in opposition to the police bill.
The Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Bill includes measures to increase penalties for certain types of crimes and increases the powers of the police over the right to protest.
According to the government, the measures in place would allow the police to take a more proactive approach to managing protests that cause serious disruption to the public.
(Image: Adam Vaughan)
The move follows high-profile protests in recent years, including the Extinction Rebellion rallies.
But activists and human rights groups have warned that the measures would undermine freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest.
Today’s protests follow others earlier this month, following violent scenes in Bristol on Friday night, where 10 arrests were made following clashes between protesters and police.
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