THIS IS NOT OVER

London Freedom march a reminder that Government is still pushing to seize complete control over your life

By Mark Sharman

FREEDOM fire is still burning, albeit with less intensity than in recent London protest marches. About 3000 people gathered in Hyde Park today, carrying their messages to the Government, down Park Lane and on through the capital’s streets.

As usual it was peaceful and good-natured, a family event with banners, flags and music. A police helicopter hovered briefly overhead before retreating, redundant; a handful of police kept watch, but there was never going to be a need for helmets and riot gear.

Freedom..freedom..freedom chanted the marchers, as their banners spoke of defending human rights and free speech and sparing children from Covid jabs. 

However, it was difficult not to reflect that if the huge recent marches were the few against the many, today was the even fewer - and by some distance. The passion is there, so too the dedication, but greater numbers will be required as the Government moves to tighten control on so many aspects of life.

Maybe freedom as a concept is harder to articulate than tangible subjects like health passports and mandatory vaccines. Maybe there should be one cohesive reason to be there. Or maybe too many people just think it’s all over, that the war is won. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is not over.

Governments rightly take control during times of crisis, but it’s also a fact that they are reluctant to relinquish their newly held powers, so concerns go far beyond the restrictions of the Coronavirus Act of 2020.

Two bills before Parliament are loaded with inherent danger to the public’s right to speak out. Under the Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Bill, protests such as today’s may be banned. The man beating his drum, or the women blowing whistles or even chanting, may be fined for causing ‘unease, alarm or distress’. Authorities would have the power to ban groups or individuals from attending any further protests – and those individuals could even be jailed. 

It could also be an offence, by act or omission, to create a situation where another person suffers death, personal injury or disease.

Imagine a situation where you could be arrested for the crime of not being vaccinated in a public space. This is not over.

Then there’s the controversial Online Safety Bill. OK, it includes potential and necessary moves to combat abuse and children’s exploitation, but it also gives the Government power to censor anything they don’t like, anything deemed to be ‘harmful to adults’. They would be able to disable the sharing of content on Big Tech platforms.

Of course this is already happening, to a frightening degree. Anything that questions the official world line on Covid and the jabs is cancelled, banned or branded ‘misinformation’, including testimonies from world-renowned scientists. Will the next step be to fine journalists (or anyone else for that matter) for criticising the Government, on any matter they choose?

It puts me in mind of a Chinese lawyer who was imprisoned ‘for picking an argument with the Government and causing trouble’. Don’t say it couldn’t happen here. This is not over.

Finally, on Thursday, the Government launched a consultation document on the Human Rights Act Reform: A Modern Bill of Rights. At first glance there are positive proposals for freedom of speech and expression, including in universities. However, there are danger signals too. The consultation proposes:

“Freedom of expression cannot be an absolute right when balanced against the need to protect national security, keep citizens safe and take steps to protect against harm to individuals. The criminal law therefore also sets out circumstances in which the freedom of expression is limited in order to protect people from harm.

“Where Parliament has expressed its clear will on issues relating to the public interest and the exercise of public functions, this should be given great weight.”

Does this mean that questioning Government policy over, say, vaccine mandates and vaccine injuries, could land you in court? I fear so.

ON A WARMER NOTE: The flowers were blossoming on an early Spring day in Hyde Park and, as the marchers set off, there came the cry: “Don’t trample on the daffodils guys.”

Not an image of protestors you’ll find portrayed in mainstream media.