Extinction Rebellion protest at Camborne Police Station of PCS bill

A group of protesters from Extinction Rebellion took a trip to Camborne Police Station to 'hand themselves in' for "crimes committed, past, present and future," they said.

It was over their concern that the right to protest peacefully was "being eroded by Government", specifically by the proposed Police, Crime and Sentencing (PCS) bill, which they described as "a step too far for many."

An Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said: "The British are justly proud of their right to have a voice and express their opinion without fear of persecution. This is now gravely under threat as the Government move to silence dissenters.

"The protestors, including many who have been locked up for protesting in the past, have detailed some of their crimes already, which at first glance seem very innocuous, largely relating to various forms of protest such as 'waving placards with dissenting opinions' and 'sitting in the road singing songs'.

"As inoffensive as they may seem, such activities, if the authorities deem them disruptive or annoying, are to be outlawed by the PCS bill. The bill, once passed will allow the police to determine if a protest can go ahead, how it may proceed and how long it is allowed to last."

The activists vary in age and profession, including teachers, gardeners, care workers and retirees.

Dan, a care worker from Redruth said: "I feel very strongly that we need to hold onto our right to protest, which is slipping away fast. Our police haven't asked for more power but the government wants to suppress us anyway.

"The acceptable parameters of effective protest get narrower and narrower, and the police already clamp down hard, sometimes being told to break the law themselves in order to do so. The PCS bill further criminalises protests, and could end our ability to speak truth to power forever."

Chris Bird foresees future crimes he said he might be forced to commit, due to "sustained government inactivity on preventing climate breakdown", and said he believes the coming years will be extremely challenging when.

Chris added: "More extreme weather events and subsequent social unrest will escalate during our lifetimes, according to the IPCC, and experts tell us we face annihilation if we don't stop polluting our planet.

"Fighting to prevent this is our moral duty, and unfortunately the only way voices get reported in our current system, is by causing disruption.

"Even when this is peaceful and non-violent, police tactics are heavy handed, and this government bill gives them sweeping powers to suppress any form of protest apart from marches from A to B. We know these aren't effective, and so do they."

Pictures: Extinction Rebellion