UK consultation into ban on protests near Parliament opens
UK based Boing Boingers will be interested to know that the government has opened a public consultation about repealing the anti-protest provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act.Link (Thanks, Dave!)I've read the consultation document, and have had my faith (slightly) renewed in the democratic process by it - it is a well put together piece of documentation that highlights the differences between the Public Order Act 1986 and SOCPA 132-138 which covers protest in the Parliamentary zone.
The main thrust of the argument is that, while there has always been a requirement for protest organisers to inform the police (where possible) the wider public order law has always allowed for the possibility of completely spontaneous protest, which SOCPA specifically prohibits, by requiring 6 days notice where possible and *no less* than 24 hours.
In effect, this has 'chilled' the possibility of good old-fashioned hot-blooded British protest, and has also disallowed, through over-enthusiastic enforcement, the making of *any* spontaneous or incidental political statement within the zone
This is an all too rare (and as usual, under-publicised) opportunity to directly influence government policy in the UK. Download the consultation document and send in your thoughts, and make it clear that this government or any other does not have the right to restrict your right to protest.
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I wonder if the Mass Lone Demonstrations(http://www.markthomasinfo.com/demo/) have influenced this consultation?
It could just be the government feels this isn't needed because they can just say you are a terrorist and then detain you without charge for 28 days(or more soon?)
Mark Thomas' incredibly funny BBC Radio 4 one-off show about this, 'My Life in Serious Organised Crime', is worth seeking out.
For example, here's an exchange between Thomas and the police office at Charing Cross station in charge of doing the paperwork for the Parliament Square protests.
PC Paul McAnnaly: "You want a demonstration to defend surrealism?"
Mark Thomas: "Yeah I do. I can have a demonstration about anything I want."
PC Paul McAnnaly: "Indeed you can. I just didnae know surrealism was under threat."
Mark Thomas: "It is"
PC Paul McAnnaly: "How so?"
Mark Thomas: "Because we have a government of paradox. We have a government that seeks peace through war and protects civil liberties by eroding them. This is a paradox; this is adsurdism; adsurdism is the enemy of surrealism ergo surrealism is under attack."
PC Paul McAnnaly: "I'm sorry I asked."
It is amusing that I just read this, given that I was watching "V For Vendetta" on the treadmill this morning.
@Listener: you do have to wonder how the constabulary would react if they had a number of people protesting while masked, don't you? (At least in the US, police have been rather keen on photographing protesters for later identification.)
NO!!!! If they give now, those bastards will overrun the country with their damned terrorist tea parties:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4878878.stm
Cory said: "Download the consultation document and send in your thoughts, and make it clear that this government or any other does not have the right to restrict your right to protest."
Surely we should send in *our* thoughts, Cory, and think for ourselves, not necessarily *your* thoughts.
Whilst I will be doing just as you suggest and posting my discontent with the SOCPA law, I think that it's more important that people read the document and make up their own minds.
On the other hand, BBC Radio 4 did this a few years ago, and this is what happened... [independent.co.uk]
Zrenneh @6: It's actually Dave that wants us to send in our thoughts. And, you know, in English when one is asking someone to do something, one usually uses the word "your" to indicate the someone; the someone then thinks, "I'll send in my thoughts". If Dave wanted us to send in his thoughts, he'd say "Send in my thoughts". That's how it works in English, I don't know about whatever your (i.e. Zrenneh's) first language is.
Would you (Zrenneh) like to lie down for a spell? I (Nelson) am concerned that you (Zrenneh) may be feeling unwell.
Poor Zren, a wee bit knackered?
Dave is completely wrong to say "there has always been a requirement for protest organisers to inform the police". There simply hasn't.
It's surprising that this consultation has restored his faith in the democratic process, no consultation would be needed to repeal the law, and that clearly isn't the UK government intention.
For more, see this analysis of the SOCPA consultation.