Freedom News

Protesters gather at Secretary of State for Justice home demanding prisons are emptied in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic

On Monday morning, a protest took place on the doorstep of the home of the Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland in Wroughton, Borough of Swindon. The protesters demanded the immediate release of all incarcerated people from the unsafe conditions in which they are being held in prisons, detention centres and psychiatric hospitals, in

Notes from the US

Freedom’s long-running US correspondent Louis Further does his monthly roundup of some of the lesser-known stories that have emerged over the last few weeks. Last month’s ‘Notes’ were long and depressing.   So let’s make this month’s shorter. But – alas – depressing.   It’s harder and harder to escape the conclusion that – because

Lessons from COVID-19: How transformative justice and mutual aid can help to address harm in communities

This article was originally published on the Transforming Society blog. Download the guide ‘How to Address Harm: A Guide for COVID-19 Mutual Aid Groups’ for information, tools and practical tips to help individuals and mutual aid groups. When UK government policy swung to a police-enforced lockdown on 23 March we were told that if we

Food, poverty, mutual aid: Reflections from Birmingham solidarity kitchen

According to a recent report by The Food Foundation, 1.5 million people have reported going an entire day without food due to poverty during the coronavirus crisis. This is as sickening as it is unsurprising. Ten years of brutal austerity had already left millions living pay-check to pay-check before the shuttering of the economy. Now,

Government quietly introduces new lockdown restrictions

At 11am yesterday (Wednesday 22.04.20), the government quietly tightened lockdown restrictions across England. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 amends the previous statutory instrument (SI. 2020/350) that forms the legal basis for lockdown measures, most notably the restrictions on freedom of movement. As I have detailed previously in these pages, the legal

Listen up sanes: the intersection of policing and healthcare is nothing new

On March 25th the Coronavirus Act 2020 received Royal Assent and became law. The contents of this ‘emergency bill’ are wide in scope: they cover increased police powers, changes to health and social care legislation, postponement of elections, changes in burial procedure and changes in statutory sick pay, amongst other measures. The next day Health