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Lobby NOT ILLEGAL DEMO at parliament square THIS SUNDAY

Lord Such | 03.08.2005 22:06 | SOCPA | Free Spaces | Repression | Social Struggles | London

Mass Lobby of Parliament in support of the Right to
Demonstrate.

Assemble 12 noon, Sunday 7th August, Parliament Square.

If you are concerned about the introduction of the new law that has effectively banned all demonstrations in the area around Parliament (up to 1 km away as far as the London Eye, Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square) then please join the mass lobby outside parliament to call on our representatives to reconsider and over turn this undemocratic and draconian legislation.

You might like to bring petitions with signatures of friends, family and collegues to present to your MP, or perhap personal letters. Alternatively you may wish to speak to them in person.

Unfortunately parliament is closed for the summer break (polititians get really long holidays) but since this is such an important issue we also call on polititians to come in on the 7th to hear our representations and to reconvene parliament in order to vote quickly on reinstating the democractic right to demonstrate outside parliament.

Of course this lobby should not be confussed with a protest or demonstration, it is merely an opportunity to be involved in this countries democratic process by putting forward concerns and requests to elected representatives.

By co-incidence there is apparently also an illegal demonstration taking place at the same time in the same location. We can consider this an illustrative backdrop in relation to the issues we would like to raise with our MPs and do hope that some will accept the invitation and speak with us at this time.

If you are plan to attend this mass lobbying event, please ensure that you can be identified as a citizen engaged in lawful democratic lobbying as oposed to illegal demonstrating by wearing approbriate clothing.

Should police mistaken you for an unlawful protester you are advised to seek legal advice and do not make a statement to the police until having spoken to your solicitor. At some stage of course it would be beneficial to your defence to make it clear that you were attending parliament square in order to lobby polititians about the new law and not to unlawfully demonstrate as that would be naughty and a serious crime in the same realm as the maffia and yardies etc.

However, don't let the presence of these semi-terrorist in your midst spoil your lawful right to lobby and don't let them scare you - they are probably quite nice and reasonable really if you talk to them so take the opportunity to intergrate and find out more about them. If they tell you stuff about more illegal protesting activities you could grass them up to the police officers in attendence or speak to your MP about the criminalisation of dissent with actual examples!

See you all on sunday.

Remember - if you don't vote you can't complain!

Lord Such

Comments

Hide the following 14 comments

I'll be joining Brians protest

03.08.2005 23:10

Personally I will be attending Parliament Square on Sunday b ut I'd like to make it clear that I'll be there to join Brians existing lawful protest against the sanctions on Iraq and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq and the role of the government in killing children. I will not be part of your illegal protest in deviance against the new law as I am a law abidding anarchist. Indeed, as an anarchist I will not be taking part in missguided attempts to lobby so-called representatives who voted for this draconian law in the first place. I do hope that the police will not mistake me for either a lobbyist or an unlawful protester but I will nether-the-less the protesting with Brian on sunday as I have done many times before during the last four years.

a lawful old timer


I might be picnicking in Parliament Square on Sunday

04.08.2005 00:02


I might be picnicking in Parliament Square on Sunday - I haven't decided yet what 'T' shirt to wear. Might be that Stop the War one that I bought a couple of years ago.

central loncon picnic lover


Photographer.

04.08.2005 06:18

I shall be going to take photographs of the architecture that houses our illustrious government. If there is anything else of pictorial interest I might take photos of that too. I am particularly interested in taking pictures of our wonderful, hardworking policeforce as they protect us with their machine guns while hunting down those horrible terrorists. Sometimes they have numbers on their epaulettes and sometimes they don't. I wonder why that is? Also, I might take pictures of those photographers who accompany the police. You know the ones, they have their hats turned back to front. Oh what fun it is going to be on such a lovely day out in London.

A. Snapper.


The Tony Blair Fan Club?

04.08.2005 08:07

SOCA 2005
_______
132 Demonstrating without authorisation in designated area

(1) Any person who-


(a) organises a demonstration in a public place in the designated area, or

(b) takes part in a demonstration in a public place in the designated area, or

(c) carries on a demonstration by himself in a public place in the designated area,
is guilty of an offence if, when the demonstration starts, authorisation for the demonstration has not been given under section 134(2).

(2) It is a defence for a person accused of an offence under subsection (1) to show that he reasonably believed that authorisation had been given.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply if the demonstration is-


(a) a public procession of which notice is required to be given under subsection (1) of section 11 of the Public Order Act 1986 (c. 64), or of which (by virtue of subsection (2) of that section) notice is not required to be given, or

(b) a public procession for the purposes of section 12 or 13 of that Act.
(4) Subsection (1) also does not apply in relation to any conduct which is lawful under section 220 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52).

(5) If subsection (1) does not apply by virtue of subsection (3) or (4), nothing in sections 133 to 136 applies either.

(6) Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 (imposition of conditions on public assemblies) does not apply in relation to a public assembly which is also a demonstration in a public place in the designated area.

(7) In this section and in sections 133 to 136-


(a) "the designated area" means the area specified in an order under section 138,

_________

Cambridge Dictionary

Definition
demonstrate (MARCH) [Show phonetics]
verb [I]
to make a public expression of dissatisfaction, especially by marching or having a meeting:
Thousands of people gathered to demonstrate against the new proposals.

demonstration [Show phonetics]
noun [C] (INFORMAL demo)
when a group of people march or stand together to show that they disagree with or support something or someone:
The students are holding a demonstration to protest against the increase in their fees.
Protesters staged an anti-war demonstration in front of the US embassy.

demonstrator [Show phonetics]
noun [C]
a person who marches or stands with a group of people to show that they disagree with or support something or someone:
Police arrested several of the demonstrators.

(b) "public place" means any highway or any place to which at the material time the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission,

(c) references to any person organising a demonstration include a person participating in its organisation,

(d) references to any person organising a demonstration do not include a person carrying on a demonstration by himself,

(e) references to any person or persons taking part in a demonstration (except in subsection (1) of this section) include a person carrying on a demonstration by himself.
_________


Would I be correct in assuming that any gathering that was in *praise* of parliament would not constitute a demonstration legally?

"What do we want?" "Nothing!!!"
"When do we want it?" "Never!!!"
"Nice one Tony, nice one son!"
etc etc etc.

magoo


pointless picnic

04.08.2005 08:57

i can not make this sunday, might you be picknicking next sunday also? haven't seen you for so long, would be good to catch up.

pointless picnicer


Such a nice spot...

04.08.2005 12:07

It really is such a lovely spot for a picnic, surrounded by inspiring architecture and symbols of our heritage. I think it would be ncie to have a picnic there EVERY weekend!

artaud


No Protests

04.08.2005 12:56


As a Brian living in London, let me say that I agree that protesting is ugly and unsightly and a security risk. So I will be going along on sunday to protest the fact that people are allowed to protest.

Brian's wife


I may come along and watch the picnic

04.08.2005 14:18

I am a member of the vegan anarchist picnicers union and may drive by to check there are no ununionised vegan picnicers in the area on sunday which happens to be the first day of the national strike of picnicers. We are calling for 1 day week and a rise
in in Income based JSA to £1,120 per week.

Also my 60 ton truck with mega blast sound system has a habit of breaking down in the most inconvenient places.

picnic union


I'm allowed to protest

04.08.2005 15:13

Someone called "Brian" is allowed to be there???

Well I'm Brian and so's my wife!

See you on sunday.

Brian


Did someone call?

04.08.2005 15:24

I won't be protesting but will be there because parliament is a cool place to be. I'm a medic & I take my first aid kit with me every where I go. I'll certainly have it with me on sunday.

Medic Mafia


Don't forget the trees

04.08.2005 22:50

I'm an entomologist & I think the trees in Parliament square might support some particularly interesting climbing species. I'd need a lot of assistants to scramble around in the trees with me searching for these insects.

lumbe r jack


Vigil

05.08.2005 15:23

Well, I was thinking of holding a vigil, but this may constitute as a demonstration so i definately won't be doing that. Oh, no. Mind you, I may be walking passed innocently on my way to work in my suit (what do mean, it will be a sunday why am i on my way to work in a suit 30 miles from my office?) and if any of you just happen to stop me and want to talk to me about what you are doing then so be it. And if no one stops me i may just have to stop myself and ask what you are all doing having a picnic and testing trees and dealing with broken down vehicles? I will be one of many who accidentally put their suits on at the weekend and strayed a long way from their place of work.

MatronX

Malcontentary Matron of Mischeif


I'm a tourist

06.08.2005 13:27

I'l be visiting the Houses of Parliament as a tourist on Sunday, with my shorts, sunglasses and funny hat, binoculars and disposible camera. I'm the last of Italian tourists coming to London, all the others have been scared away first by the prices than by the mounting terror-police operations, with untold damage to the British tourist industry.

Angelina


picnics

15.08.2005 10:17

couldn't make it last week will try next week, will bring flask and cake

jonH
mail e-mail: johnpharding at yahoo.com
- Homepage: http://pointlesspicnic