Riverford Organic founder Guy Singh-Watson has issued a stinging attack on UK Government proposals that could leave eco protestors facing a year in prison.
In a short video made for the Wicked Leeks site, Singh-Watson warns that legislation currently being pushed through Parliament – notably the Policing Bill – will “make any kind of protest (in Britain) virtually illegal”.
“Anyone involved in any kind of protest, anyone encouraging protest, distributing literature, or encouraging people on the Internet (and social media) will be subject to 51 weeks in prison – and up to to 10 years for damaging a statue.
Singh-Watson says that anyone participating in the type of peaceful protests staged against GM crops 20 years ago, which he attended and spoke at, would now face “draconian” jail terms. “I would definitely have been in prison for a year, no question about it”.
“This Bill, together with the Electoral Reform Bill, poses a fundamental threat to our lives and freedoms. That’s why I really have to protest. Because it is anything but patriotic to threaten the very values our country has been built on. It’s just terrifying that we are going to lose the rights that our parents and grandparents fought for, and many cases laid down their lives for, without really giving it a thought. Once lost they will be really, really hard to win back.”
“I urge everyone to protest, write to you MP, make as much noise as possible… while you’re still allowed to. Use your voice. Use it loudly. Use it now.”