Digital Economy Bill protestors head for parliament

Hundreds of protestors are expected at the Houses of Parliament tonight

Hundreds of protestors are planning to gather at the Houses of Parliament at 6pm tonight to voice their opposition to the controversial Digital Economy Bill.

The activists are planning to hold up blank placards and gag or blindfold themselves to symbolise what they see as draconian measures that would cut people's right to the internet and allow web sites to be blocked.

The Bill in its current form would force ISPs to disconnect users accused of copyright infringement and block certain web sites, and would pose a significant threat to open Wi-Fi, according to detractors.

Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said that the legislation threatens freedom of speech and will foster the use of censorship, and that the protests are necessary to underline that the Bill needs more serious scrutiny.

The protests will also give the Open Rights Group a chance to demonstrate the strength of feeling it believes exists, after Labour MP Derek Wyatt questioned the impact of online only campaigns at a British Computer Society event on 11 March.

"I received an invitation from the Open Rights Group the other day asking me to protest against the Bill, but then I never saw anything happen. That's the thing about online groups: do they even do anything?" said Wyatt at the time.

The Open Rights Group has also said that more than 12,000 members of the public have sent letters to their MPs urging them to demand a debate over the Bill in the House of Commons.

However, the ORG claimed that Richard Mollet, director of public affairs at music industry body the BPI, reportedly told the Counter 2010 conference in Manchester this afternoon that the Lords had scrutinised the Bill enough, and that there was no further need for debate.

Killock disagreed, describing Mollet's view as the worst sort of corporate lobbying.

"Yet again, the BPI calls to remove democratic safeguards and says there is no need for democratic debate. Richard Mollet, a candidate for parliament, wants MPs to throw away their democratic rights and duties," he said.

The BPI refuted that Mollet had ever said this though, claiming that " Richard Mollet categorically did not say “there was no further need for debate” at the Counter 2010 conference, as ORG have incorrectly claimed," they said.

"What he actually said was that the Bill has received detailed scrutiny in the Lords, which has resulted in significant amendments being made to it."