Outline
What is the distinction between a peaceful protest and a riot? When does a peaceful protest become a riot? Do our political and moral compasses influence our views on what is a peaceful protest and what is a riot? How may new laws affect our rights to assembly?
This interactive session will focus on debate using a variety of contemporary case studies e.g. the Black Lives Matter movement, the Extinction Rebellion disruptions, the anti-lockdown protests, police treatment of mourners at the Sarah Everard vigil, race riots such as London 2011 following the death of Mark Duggan and the Council Tax/Poll Tax protests. Recent events in the US such as the siege of the Capitol in January 2021 in an attempt to prevent the inauguration of the then President-elect Joe Biden and the 2017 Charlottesville white supremacist rally could also be discussed (in a longer session.)
This debate will also be set against the “Kill the Bill” protests and how the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 could restrict our right to assembly and our right to freedom of expression and grant the police additional powers to restrict and quash said rights.