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Purposeful Businesses of the world

As purposeful business leaders, now is the time to speak out

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  • The government are trying to pass a law to make it much harder to protest in the UK.�
  • Why does it matter? Protest is vital to a healthy democracy. Without the right to protest we lack a key mechanism to feedback to those in government between elections, or act as a check and balance on power. �
  • What can I do? What can I do? We’re looking for UK business leaders to sign a joint letter opposing the bill- joining The Body Shop, Pukka Herbs, Ben & Jerry’s , Paul Polman and 230 more here
  • Please share this with any businesses and business leaders you know! �
  • How long do we have? The bill is set to be reviewed in the House of Commons on Monday 28th Feb.

What’s going on?

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Our freedom to come together and raise our voices has created the society we enjoy today:

We have always had the right to protest and throughout history we’ve come together to use it and win the rights to:

�At a time when purposeful businesses have done so much to steward the transition towards a more socially inclusive society, that better protects the planet, this is a bill moving us in the opposite direction

This bill attempts to use the most extreme forms of protest to eradicate all forms of protest.

Why it matters

  • Weekends
  • Voting Rights for Women
  • End of Child Labour
  • Civil Rights

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The Police Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill is an update to police powers, that amongst other things, would allow police to break up peaceful protests.

This bill will further marginalise the voices of people who are already marginalised. People of colour. Nurses. Teachers. And school children advocating for their futures.

What is it all about?

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In the UK, we have all noticed significant changes as a result of people coming together to protest in recent years. Fridays for the Future protests have helped to speed up government response to the climate crisis. Black Lives Matter protests have changed the conversation across the UK.

If you stand for freedom, democracy, togetherness and the power of people, the window of time to act is very short.

If you are a business who champions social justice, racial justice, or action on climate change, your ability to create the change you seek in the world depends on customers, clients, suppliers and partners being able to speak up for change .

That right is currently under threat from this bill.

What it means for purposeful business?

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“This feels Orwellian. It comes on top of provisions in the original bill that skirt dangerously close to criminalising peaceful protest.

The home secretary wants the police to be able to arrest, fine and imprison any demonstrator if their protest is noisy enough to cause ‘serious unease’ to bystanders. Who defines ‘serious unease’? ��Lawyers say this is amongst the vaguest and most imprecise language they have ever seen.”

Camilla Cavendish, Journalist Financial Times

03.December .21

Link to full article

What people are saying?

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We’re looking for purposeful business leaders who’d be up for sharing a short statement like the below about why they oppose the bill.

What can businesses leaders do?

If you are NOT a business leader but still want to help, please see the next slide.

1: Sign the joint letter from businesses opposing the bill here:

2: Personally call or email 5 other business leaders and tell them why you oppose this Bill and encourage them to oppose it too. (Even better if there’s a Lord you can reach out to also!)

3: Write to your MP. Instructions in our new action deck here (p9 for instructions)

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This comes from a group of people working in business who are concerned about protecting democracy and social justice in the UK

Find out more or reach out to us below:

Charlotte: charlotteuk21@gmail.com

Matt: matt@rubberrepublic.com

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APPENDIX

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  • Democracy is the backbone of a healthy economy.

  • We need policy change to support the transition to the more inclusive economy purposeful businesses are working towards. eg to enable a just transition - and we will need everyone including public support and demonstration to make this happen.

  • Protest is an early warning signal of what our customers and clients feel. If someone feels so strongly about something they will take to the street for it, arresting them for holding that strong belief will not help create the stable society a strong economy needs..�
  • If a society cannot evolve, and needs to stamp out unwelcome views and beliefs, history has already shown us where that ends, and it doesn’t make for good business.
  • Politicians giving themselves powers to stamp out “dissidents” is an abdication of their responsibility to their constituents and businesses, and whilst it may curb “irritants” in the short term, if will not help business in the long term.

Why does this matter in the long term?

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  • The UK holds a unique position, as we have policing by consent. �
  • We have the ability to set a leadership position in how we deal with the required changes to society. �
  • What will the impact be if the UK becomes an example of introducing strong powers of arrest to restrict our own citizens?

What’s important about the UK?