Locked up: protesters in prison

Earlier this year, openDemocracy explored how successive governments had cracked down on protest rights. Now, with Just Stop Oil activists facing lengthy sentences for "conspiring" to commit protest offences, the impact of these laws is being felt more than ever. We sat down with human rights lawyer Katy Watts to discuss the sentencing, and how she and the NGO Liberty won a legal challenge against the government's new protest laws. https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics.Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction01:16 Long sentences for protestors03:21 Protestors new-found reluctance05:41 Broadening definitions of what is criminal08:30 A framework for authoritarians09:50 What inspired the clamp down on protest?12:10 Holding the government to account in court16:04 Labour defending Conservative policies18:28 What happens to those arrested unlawfully?19:35 Neutering protests21:12 These protest laws target everyone24:56 Concerns about Labour's approach to protest27:37 What does solidarity mean to you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.