Fire Brigades Union (FBU) opposition to the police, crime, sentencing and court's Bill

Conference notes the arbitrary and vague nature of the Policing Bill’s restrictions on ‘noisy’ and ‘annoying’ protests and its provision to limit protest if it is ‘disruptive’. Conference also notes the fact that the Bill could lead to fines on protest organisers.

Most alarming is the fact that the Bill threatens freedom to protest and potentially to picket. This could present clear legal restrictions to workers and FBU Members exercising their right to organise and protest.

Conference is clear that the right to protest, noisily or otherwise, is essential in a democratic society and that the Policing Bill is a conscious effort to undermine this right and criminalise opposition.

Conference instructs the Executive Council (EC);

• to join the call for the revocation of the Bill (to Kill the Bill)
• to support, and affiliate to any organisations where it is in the Union’s interests, subject to the discretion of the EC, and make provisions for regions to support protests against the Bill
• to encourage FBU Members to become involved in demonstrations against the Bill.