UNITED KINDGOM, January, 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As the U.K. enters its latest round of lockdown restrictions, police chiefs have warned that anyone outside their home is liable to be stopped and questioned as to the reason for their being outdoors. Anyone who does not have a satisfactory answer could face a £200 fine, with that figure doubling for every subsequent infraction, up to £6,400.
In an article penned for Britain’s Telegraph, Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chief’s Council wrote that police “[f]orces will continue to bear down on that very small minority” who, he says, “flagrantly and selfishly breach the regulations, such as those that organise unlicensed music events or parties.”
Hewitt claims that, as a function of having lived through 10 months of changing lockdowns and a variety of restrictions, “everyone should now understand the rules in their area.” While the U.K. regulations do allow for a number of exceptions to the restrictions on travel and wearing face masks, the Telegraph reports that “officers will not be reasoning with offenders but will impose fines straightaway.”
The Met Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Matt Twist, echoed Hewitt’s words, saying “[a]fter ten months of this pandemic the number of people who are genuinely not aware of the restrictions and the reasons they are in place is vanishingly small.” He added that the “critical situation” presented by COVID-19 means “we [the police] can no longer spend our time explaining or encouraging people to follow rules where they are wilfully and dangerously breaching.”
On Wednesday, police put their new powers into action, arresting 21 people, some of whom were protesting the lockdown measures outside Parliament. Police were filmed handcuffing individuals and telling them that fines would be issued if they did not return to their homes.
“This behaviour puts others at significant risk, and it's right we patrol in potential hotspots and that officers are inquisitive when they see something out of the ordinary. This will offer both reassurance to the public and act as a deterrent to those who think the measures don't apply to them,” Hewitt said.
The latest U.K. lockdown regulations stipulate that “It is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble,” with one permitted occasion per day of outdoor exercise, within the nearby vicinity of one’s residence.
**Photo credit: Shutterstock.com
Mainstream media sources are promoting offensive suggestions by some doctors that people who refuse a vaccine for COVID-19 should be "punished" by the government and by business - effectively coercing them into taking the vaccine.
- One group of doctors writing in 'USA Today' suggested that the government impose special taxes (i.e., fines) on people who refuse the vaccination and that business simply refuse to serve them. [see story below]
- Another doctor writing in an online publication called 'The Conversation' shamelessly suggested that people who refuse a vaccine should be given a psychoactive drug to induce compliance. [see story below]
But, these suggestions are plain political posturing, and have nothing to do with science or with the recent trends of the disease.
And, in case they haven't noticed, we live in a democracy not a medical dictatorship!
Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks policy-makers and business people, at all levels, to pledge to respect the rights of those who, in good conscience, decide not to vaccinate themselves or their children.
People should not have to live in fear of governmental or corporate retribution for refusing a vaccine which is being rushed to market by Big Pharma and their fellow-travelers in NGOs, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It would be intolerable and immoral for the government or business to coerce someone, and their family, to take a COVID vaccine against their will to avoid a fine, or just so they can do their weekly grocery shopping.
Medical freedom must be respected in principle and also in practice.
So, it is now time that our policy-makers listen to all voices involved in this vital conversation, and start to represent those who will not tolerate being punished for refusing a vaccine.
Simply put, legislatures must begin to act as legislatures again.
Questions must be asked. Hearings and investigations must be held. And, the legislatures of each state and country must return to the business of representing the people who voted for them, assuming their rightful place as the originator of legislation.
We can no longer accept the dictates of executive branches without question, especially now that, statistically speaking, the initial brunt of the COVID crisis has passed.
Neither can we accept the dictates of doctors who seem detached from reality and from science, and who only seem to be attached to the idea of promoting ideas which contribute to the agrandizement of power and control of political interests, and wealth of those who stand to make a lot of money from the sale of a COVID vaccine.
Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks government and business leaders to pledge to respect the rights of those who refuse a COVID vaccine, and not seek to punish them for doing so.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Doctors lay out plan to ‘punish’ people who refuse coronavirus vaccine: ‘There is no alternative’' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/doctors-lay-out-plan-to-punish-people-who-refuse-coronavirus-vaccine-there-is-no-alternative
'US professor: ‘Psychoactive pill’ should be covertly administered to ensure lockdown compliance' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-professor-ensure-lockdown-compliance-by-drugging-dissenters-with-psychoactive-pill
A London Metropolitan Police statement published on Wednesday instructs that with “fewer 'reasonable excuses' for people to be away from their home in the regulations, Londoners can expect officers to be more inquisitive as to why they see them out and about.” The statement goes on to warn that “[w]here officers identify people without a lawful reason to be away from home, they can expect officers to move more quickly to enforcement.”
Regarding face masks, those not wearing them “where they should be and without good reason can expect to be fined – not reasoned with.” Johnson drove home the point about masking up, declaring that “your harmless cough can be someone else's death knell.”
“These measures will only work if people comply,” he continued, adding that “these rules will be enforced by tighter penalties.”
The Met Police statement also revealed that officers will still be following the “four E’s” approach of “engaging, explaining, and encouraging – only then enforcing,” which is supposed to limit officers from abusing their new powers by issuing fines too quickly. However, revised instructions have been handed down, ordering law enforcement to “issue fines more quickly to anyone committing obvious, wilful and serious breaches.”
As part of the effort to curb disobedience to the new rules, the police “launched a new digital fines system which makes it quicker and easier for officers to issue fines on the spot.” According to the Met Police, this new system is responsible for reporting more people and issuing more fines since its launch less than a month ago “than in the rest of the year combined.”
Whilst Twist did express a desire that “this particular trend” not continue, he nevertheless dug his heels, saying that “if people continue to break the rules, putting themselves, their families and their communities at greater risk, our officers are ready to act robustly.”