A rally to object to a proposed bill aimed at limiting the right to protest is being held on Thursday at 5pm outside the parliament building, where the plenum will be in session.

Under the slogan “the right to protest is not negotiable”, the organisers call on people to gather outside parliament.

“Our freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly and association and data protection are under threat by the new proposed bill to limit protests,” the organisers said.

“We recently experienced authoritative interventions of the police during peaceful activities and protests, including but not limited to physical and verbal violence, provocative arrests and demands for personal data. At times of increasing authoritarianism, this new bill is set to provide a legal framework to enable more police brutality and abuse of power,” they said.

The organisers – including Edon and Afoa – say they are “unapologetically against the new bill, which will increase policing of our lives and violation of our most basic rights”.