HUNDREDS of people are expected to gather in another Kill the Bill protest in Brighton today.

The demonstration which is set to take place at 1pm at The Level, is part of a “national weekend of action" across the country.

Last week, crowds of protesters marched through the city in a public display of opposition to the government's new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill.

The controversial bill looks to increase the maximum penalty for criminal damage of less than £5,000 to a memorial from three months to ten years’ imprisonment, the same maximum sentence for non-sexual child abuse.

It would also grant police additional powers to restrict protests by imposing start and finish times and setting noise limits.

These limitations could be applied to a protest involving a single person.

Ahead of the protest scheduled to take place today, Olivia Johnson, an organiser of the upcoming Brighton Kill the Bill protest, said: “The Bill is a wide-ranging attack on civil liberties because it not only gives the police and Home Secretary draconian powers to shut down protests they deem inappropriate, but it discriminates against Roma and Traveller Ccommunitieswho are already facing huge levels of persecution at the hands of the State.

“Other elements of the legislation are also hugely problematic.

"For example, plans to increase the maximum sentence for damaging a statue from 3 months to 10 years would put vandalising an inanimate object on par with stalking and sexual assault in the eyes of the law.”

“In fact, it could bring about a situation in which someone gets more prison time for damaging the statue of a slave trader than someone convicted of sexual assault or rape.”

Some lockdown rules were eased on Monday, meaning “Covid-secure protests or picketing” are now permitted.

According to the coronavirus guidance issued by the government, protests can go ahead “where the organiser has taken the required precautions, including the completion of a risk assessment.”

Before the rule change, organisers of gatherings involving more than 30 people faced £10,000 fines.