1-2-3 What Are We Fighting For? [not the right to protest, it seems]
Posted September 29th, 2007 by Tom
Disturbing news if true, from the Stop The War Coalition:
On Monday 8 October the Stop the War Coalition will be marching
from Trafalgar Square to Parliament calling for all troops in
Iraq to be brought home immediately.
After a series of relatively co-operative meetings, the police
now say they have been instructed not to allow the march to take
place and that all demonstrations are banned within a mile of
Parliament whilst in session.
This is a new development which threatens our democratic rights.
When Gordon Brown became prime minister he promised to liberalise
the laws on protest, saying that one of his principles would be,
"civil liberties safeguarded and enhanced". Government ministers,
including Gordon Brown, have lined up to support the right to
protest in Burma. It is important that these same ministers also
defend the rights of people in this country to protest
peacefully.
We are determined to march to make our views known to parliament
on 8 October, when Gordon Brown will make his long awaited
statement on Iraq. We urge everyone who opposes the war policies
of our government to join the call for all British troops to come
home immediately and to help defend our civil liberties now under
attack. We have produced a petition calling on the authorities to
review the decision to ban the march.
SIGN THE PETITION ONLINE aimed at defending our right to protest
peacefully. You can do this here: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE PETITION
Collect as many signatures as you can and send filled petition
sheets to Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, WC1X 9JP
Download for printing here: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
Please spread the word as widely as you can about the
demonstration on Monday 8 October (full details below)
I'd be interested to know under what legislation they can stop it - SOCPA I seem to recall was a kilometre, not a mile, so it's possible the cops are just making it up as they go along, like they do with anti-war protester numbers.
Perhaps if the good people
Perhaps if the good people at Stop the War Coaltion agreed to Goose Step on their march, they would get permission, and more than likely a salute from all MP's.
James blunt - no bravery
James blunt - no bravery (special clip no war!)
http://tinyurl.com/2k999g
SOCPA section 132 does not
SOCPA section 132 does not apply to marches and public processions, which would interfere with road traffic, and which already come under the Public Order Act, which has its own requirements for asking for permission from the Police:
The SOCPA Designated Area could be up to 1 kilometre from the nearest point in Parliament Square, but it is currently rather less than this, but it still covers far too large an area.
Which individual has given the actual Order to the Police to ban this march ? The Metropolitan Police Commissioner or the Speaker of the House of Commons, or the Home Secretary , or some faceless, unaccountable bureaucrat or political commissar or spin doctor ?
They should be named and shamed.
The "sessional orders" are supposed to allow the free access of MPs to Parliament when it is sitting, so as to prevent votes being rigged by crowds of demonstrators or others stopping thieir political opponents from attending.
This can be accomplished by ensuring free access for MPs from Westminster Tube station and access to and from the underground car parks serving the Palace of Westminster.
Anything else is a suppression of the freedom of assembly and of peaceful protest.
You do not have to agree with the peculiar aims of this particular protest (are they really calling for an intensification of the civil war and violent criminal gang warfare in Iraq ?), to respect the rights of the participants to hold it.
Surely instead of doing a
Surely instead of doing a petition they should just go ahead with the march as planned?