Section 44 stop and search at Fairford
GWI | 11.03.2003 17:21
March 8th 2003 for 28 days stop and search powers are authorised by David Blunkett for the whole of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 has been authorised at Fairford in an attempt to control legitimate peace protests. We believe this is the first ever use of these powers and on Sunday 9th March at least 20 people were searched. Clearly these far reaching powers are being used in exactly the way civil liberties groups feared they would. That is to attempt to suppress civil disobedience and direct action against a government and war machine that is out of control.
In this video a friendly copper explains how they can now search anyone they like for no reason at all to look for "anything we feel you shouldn't have".
In this video a friendly copper explains how they can now search anyone they like for no reason at all to look for "anything we feel you shouldn't have".
GWI
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Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
anything??
11.03.2003 20:08
(2) A constable may seize and retain an article which he discovers in the course of a search by virtue of section 44(1) or (2) and which he reasonably suspects is intended to be used in connection with terrorism.
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So to me this means that they can only search for and sieze items which are intended to be used for terrorist purposes. (I wouldn't like to get caugth with any restricted/illegal substances though)
simon
But what's terrorism ?
12.03.2003 12:38
with terrorism".
Terrorism itself isn't clearly defined, let alone anything
that has a connection with it.
An address book can be seen as a connection. A map can
be see as a connection. A mobile phone can be seen as a
connection. Anything written on a piece of paper might
be an encrypted message.
Unlike section 60 wich is clearly for weapons only, this
can really be used for anything.
blop
Terrorism whatever the state says it is
12.03.2003 14:35
Steve
well said, Steve
13.03.2003 19:55
The link is to the Stationery Office online text of the TA2000
It's pretty clear that cutting fences is damage to property and the point of cutting fences is to influence the government so those two things add up to terrorism.
The TA2000 applies to brits abroad too.
Oddly, the british military threatening to cause damage to property in Iraq in order to influence the government there does not seem to be considered terrorism.
bobby
Homepage: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00011--b.htm#1