"Protesters who wear masks could face arrest, up to a month in jail and a £1,000 fine under proposed measures that human rights campaigners claim are pandering to “culture war nonsense”.

Police in England and Wales will be given the power to arrest people if they are wearing face coverings at specific demonstrations, the Home Office has said."

Been a bad 18 months or so for privacy in the UK. Online Safety Bill passed, the right to take strike action curtailed, people in receipt of benefits (including disabled people) will soon (as from 2025) have their bank accounts open to the government, the right to protest curtailed and now this.

  • li10@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    I see no hope for this country. Things are just getting worse and worse every year, how long can this keep going?

    It’s pretty bad now, but I seriously worry what things will be like in 20 or so years.

      • Aceticon@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I lived in the UK not that long ago and I lived and live elsewhere in Europe.

        It really is a bigger problem in the UK than most of Europe, probably because it apes the US so hard and somehow combines some of its worst shit with their very own local shit (classism, very low social mobility, entrenched ancient elites, post-imperial hangover and other) rather than combining qualities.

        It’s mainly Anglon-Saxon countries that are speed running the rise of Fascism, not most of the World.

    • Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Tories on a any% speed run to the government from Children of Men, while the left is worried about which way Kier decides to lean that afternoon

    • soviettaters@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      People hate on the US all the time, but the first amendment is very unique when you consider how other countries are curtailing people’s right to protest, practice their religion, etc.

      • Leraje@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
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        11 months ago

        An argument that might carry weight if you weren’t setting up hotlines for people to snitch on anything or anyone vaguely LGBTQIA+, removing books from libraries, allowing huge orgs to buy political favour, enslaving people in for-profit prison systems etc etc etc.

        • soviettaters@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago
          1. Kids shouldn’t be coerced into being gay.
          2. Yeah lobbying sucks I agree
          3. If people don’t want to have to work in prison then they shouldn’t commit crimes.
          • irmoz@reddthat.com
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            11 months ago

            Kids aren’t being “coerced into being gay”. That’s a batshit statement right there.

            Also, slavery is always bad. End of story. Putting any leeway in there is disgusting.