Digital Economy Bill second reading set for 6 April

Parliament has set the date for the next reading of the Digital Economy Bill

The second reading of the controversial Digital Economy Bill has been scheduled for 6 April, parliament said today.

The announcement follows an evening in which hundreds of protestors gathered outside parliament to demonstrate against the government's plans to disconnect illegal file sharers from the internet.

The protest was organised by the Open Rights Group, and attended by politicians and members of the public who believe that internet access is an essential human right.

Protestors argued that restricting this right is not a proportionate punishment for the crime of illegally accessing copyrighted content.

Tom Watson, Labour MP for West Bromwich East, said at the event that he is concerned by the lack of scrutiny given to the copyright proposals.

The proposals are part of the Digital Economy Bill, which is being rushed through parliament before the general election.

Many of the protestors said that the proposed legislation needs more time to be examined, and is too important to be hurried through in the 'wash-ups' period during which government rushes through new laws without proper debate in the final days before a general election and the dissolution of parliament.

The UK Pirate Party also attended the protest and expressed concerns over the power held by copyright holder lobbyists, which appear to have heavily influenced the government's copyright policy, in some cases word for word.

Open Wi-Fi providers who attended the protests complained that the Bill is likely to kill off hotspots.

The activists held blank placards and gagged or blindfolded themselves to symbolise the impact that the Bill is likely to have on free speech.

However, the protests appear to have had no impact on slowing down the Bill's passage through parliament. A debate this morning in parliament concluded that the Bill will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on 6 April.

"April 6 is the odds-on favourite to be the date that Gordon Brown will ask the Queen to dissolve parliament," said Denny de la Haye, independent candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch, on Twitter.

Open Rights Group executive director Jim Killock claimed that more than 17,000 letters have been sent to MPs objecting to the Bill being rushed through.

"This Bill will restrict individual rights and freedoms and punish innocent people by disconnecting them. This needs democratic debate; it cannot simply be pushed through during 'wash up'," he said.

Over 2,000 letters were sent to Harriet Harman, and over 15,000 to other MPs, asking for a full debate, according to Killock.

We'll be posting a video of the protest soon, including interviews with MPs, activists and protestors.