Justice for Grenfell peaceful protest will be illegal if Government’s new crime bill is passed

By Julia Gregory, local democracy reporter

Campaigners who have taken on the protest for justice for Grenfell said it is crucial that people keep issues in the public eye.

Leearna Oliffe said the Government’s police, crime, sentencing and courts bill would mean that a peaceful protest by people bereaved at the Grenfell fire and cladding campaigners at Downing Street would be illegal.

Under the bill which has just been introduced in Parliament, police could tell organisers the times they can start and finish their event, set noise limits. The rules could even apply to just one person.

In December representatives of the groups which formed after Grenfell and the cladding scandal it uncovered held a socially distanced vigil at Downing Street to mark the three-and-a-half year anniversary since the fatal fire.

But Ms Oliffe  who is a member of the Grenfell Community Campaigners said the event in December would be outlawed by the Government’s new anti-protest bill.

“Going to Downing Street on December 14 was a speak out. It was very powerful, we had cladding groups, we had Justice4Grenfell, the Grenfell Trust, people from Grenfell United.

We had people bereaved in the fire, including quite a few of the younger survivors from the Tower.”

But she said that kind of small scale gathering could be outlawed.

“We would not be allowed to do that under the new bill.”

She added: “It was really united, really peaceful, people were making speeches.”

The Grenfell Community Campaigners also stage a weekly protest outside the Grenfell Inquiry.

Because of the pandemic only lawyers and witnesses are able to attend the inquiry in person.

However the campaign group said they believe it is important to protest to keep Grenfell in the public eye.

“We have megaphones and we have a speaker with microphones. People bring bongo drums and whistles to make some noise.”

She wrote the risk assessment for the protests outside the inquiry at Bishops Bridge Road, near Paddington.

“We are sensible and we are all socially distanced and we are all wearing masks.”

Ms Oliffe said protest was important.

“For us it’s about keeping Grenfell in the public eye because it’s so important.

“For us it’s for the people on the stand now we are not going to go away. We are never going to go away, to keep people accountable.”

And she said it was important that people had the right to protest.

“If you can’t protest, it’s about shutting the people’s voice down, shutting them down is just disgraceful.”

She added: “There are so many things around the world that are so wrong.”

And the pandemic has impacted on the ways people can express their feelings.

“With  lockdown people are suffering with their mental health.”

She said protest can be an important outlet for their feelings about issues.

Extinction Rebellion, including the Kensington and Chelsea group is campaigning to stop the bill in its tracks.

Extinction Rebellion climate change  protests brought central London , including Oxford Street, to a standstill in 2019.

They said they were concerned it would mean “the voices of ordinary people, particularly those most marginalised and disadvantaged, are silenced by state sanctioned penalties.

We collectively decry this move by the UK government and demand that MPs Kill The Bill.”