Kill the Bill protests: Thousands descend on London and cities across the UK

1 May 2021, 17:25 | Updated: 2 May 2021, 12:11

Thousands of people have descended on London and cities across the UK for the latest in a series of Kill the Bill protests.

Huge crowds congregated around Trafalgar Square and the Mall in the capital from midday on Saturday, before heading towards the Home Office.

Rallies are also taking place in Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.

The London protest was spearheaded by anti-domestic violence charity Sisters Uncut and also featured many placards supporting environmental activists Extinction Rebellion (XR) and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

The Metropolitan Police said there were no arrests, although there were nine arrests linked to a separate XR protest earlier.

The proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was drafted partly in response to previous disruptive action by both XR and BLM.

It would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests - including those considered too noisy or a nuisance - with those convicted liable to face fines or jail terms.

Commander Simon Dobinson, of the Met Police, said ahead of the protests: "We have attempted to make contact with the organisers of Saturday's demonstrations.

"It is their responsibility to comply with the regulations and ensure their gathering is safe.

"Officers will be present to try to engage with protestors, to explain the restrictions, encourage compliance and take steps to enforce the restrictions if it is necessary to do so.

"Anyone intending to engage in violence or disorder needs to understand that police we will take steps to prevent that behaviour. We will not tolerate attacks on our officers and staff."

In Newcastle, demonstrators faced off against officers who blocked them from accessing a police station.

One witness said: "Police closed the road and stopped access, there were a couple of scuffles and a few protesters were detained."

Protesters in Manchester occupied Portland Street in the city centre.

In Sheffield, demonstrators took the knee and gave the black power salute in a park close to the city centre, before marching towards City Hall.

Some of the most violent protests have been seen in Bristol, where the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was ripped down last summer, with 42 people arrested following a demonstration in March.

The city's 11th protest was scheduled to commence at 5pm, beginning at College Green.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, but over recent years we have seen an increase in the use of disruptive and dangerous tactics.

"It is totally unacceptable to smash up private property, block emergency vehicles and prevent the printing press from distributing newspapers.

"The Government will not stand by as the rights and freedoms of individuals, businesses and communities are trampled upon by a minority.

"These new measures will not stop people from carrying out their civic right to protest and be heard, but will prevent large scale disruption - enabling the silent majority to get on with their lives."

Hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists across the country earlier staged one-person road blocks to protest the Government's lack of action on climate change.