Hundreds march through Sheffield streets in third ‘Kill the Bill’ protest

Hundreds of people took part in another ‘Kill the Bill’ demonstration on Saturday afternoon, with activists gathering at Devonshire Green in Sheffield before marching around the city centre holding placards and signs.

Protestors wearing masks passed by the Winter Gardens and briefly stopped outside the Crucible, which hosted the World Snooker Championships this weekend.

The gathering at Devonshire Green was one of many taking place around the country, against what is seen as a Government crackdown on the right to protest.

Police made pleas with protesters as the rally clashed with a period of silence for The Duke of Edinburgh as he was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon.

It is the third Kill the Bill march to take place in Sheffield in recent weeks as crowds gathered to demonstrate against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The Bill contains a number of sentencing reforms, such as stopping the automatic early release of offenders deemed to pose a danger to members of the public mid-way through their sentences.

The proposed bill would also enable police forces in England and Wales to receive more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests – including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms.

Sheffield Against The Policing Bill tweeted from their account, saying: “We must continue to stand up and make our voices heard in opposition to increased police powers, in opposition to GRT racism, in opposition to an increased carceral state. Stand up this Saturday along with hundreds of thousands of other people across the country. 1 pm, Dev Green.”

The demonstration was attended by a variety of different groups, including the South Yorkshire branch of the Communist Party of Britain and many others.

Phil Cosgrove of the South Yorkshire branch of the Communist Party of Britain said: “The South Yorkshire Branch of the Communist Party of Britain attended its second consecutive Saturday in protest against the ‘Police, crime, sentencing and courts, Bill 2021.

“To see numbers grow from the previous Saturday was encouraging to see, and we was also pleased to see it remained a peaceful protes