Press Release: 12 Noon Every Sunday, Parliament Square London Picnic/Tea Party Protest

The Founding of the People’s Commons London, August 2006

Right Honourable Ladies and Gentlemen

You are cordially invited to join us for our weekly People’s Commons Meeting/Tea Party/Picnic-Protest on the Green at Parliament Square, Westminster. We meet every Sunday at 12 Noon on the Green in front of The House of Commons.

Background

We are now building on the success of our previous meetings, initially held in response to New Labour’s attempt to criminalise the Right to Protest, without notice, in the Westminster/Parliament Square area, but which appears to be morphing into something more than just protest. Below find information on the legislation that has drawn us together to meet regularly and on the event itself.

Information on Legislation/Police Action

Under the new legislation, notably s132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (April 2005) anyone wishing to demonstrate [however peacefully and/or just] in the "designated area" around Parliament - which includes the Square, extends as far as the London Eye and includes all of Whitehall and a large part of Westminster - must apply to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner at least 6 days in advance or, if not "reasonably practicable", 24 hours in advance. Permission must be granted but the Commissioner can impose draconian conditions on the protest including: when and where it can take place; how long it can last; how many people can attend; how much noise can be made; and the number and size of banners and placards used.

In the weeks since the Act came into force (July 1st), the police have made a number of arrests. One of the permanent Parliament Square anti-war protestors (there is another, a Russian chap, who the police have inexplicably left alone) Brian Haw, to whom the Act was originally aimed, has been found exempt from its terms. This means that under the current law, Brian is the only person in the whole world who is allowed to demonstrate peacefully without asking permission in front of the Houses of Parliament. In order to make the unworkability, absurdity and abuse of power inherent in this law and also as a means to showing exactly how a better world might be possible, we have decided to hold our party-protest Peoples Commons Meeting in Parliament Square every week (and quite possibly more often and/or permanently) until the law – and the system of neo-liberal government under which we and others around the world are forced to live - is changed.

So far, a few people (in total, 11) have been arrested since the Act came into force. Last Sunday, however, the police left us alone to our own devices. That notwithstanding we are – in the light of the ongoing possibility of arrest for taking part in a picnic - taking special care to ensure that all feel welcome to join us and are not unduly put off by the risk of arrest – men women children police officers and even MPs! Therefore to protect people we have set up a Party Line system, whereby those who are definitely ‘protestors’ (and are therefore willing to get arrested) are on one side of the line, and those who are ‘supporters’, exercising their right to picnic and freely associate in a public place in support of a better world order, are on the other. Regardless, the police appear understandably reluctant to arrest more individuals than they have to, probably because they know as well as we do that the law in this case is daft, absurd, an undemocratic abuse of power etc etc.

Information on Event

What We Are Trying To Do: we are determined to challenge the government in the context of the criminalisation of the Right to Protest and Associate Freely under The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act and also in respect of many of their other policies. But we are determined to do so non-violently, so as to embody, as Mahatma Gandhi once said we must, the change we want to see in the world. In a nutshell, this – the safeguarding of our liberties and the grassroots embodiment of a better world for all - is the whole point of the exercise. So, come help us fight the good fight!

What to bring: please bring whatever you can dream up in order to help make the party a great success. Particularly useful are food, drink, music, banner-making materials, games (cricket with sponge ball, frisbee, croquet etc) bubbles, flowers and ideas for the future. We want to embody a deeper form of democracy than that peddled by the mainstream political parties, because we believe a better world is both possible and necessary, so please come along and help us show the world what democracy is really about.

What to wear: (depending on weather conditions) it’s a party, so let’s get those glad rags out! Please put on your Sunday best, or better still (our continuous theme is great protestors through the ages) dress as your favourite protestor; perhaps a Suffragette (Mary Poppins!?) Or perhaps Boadicca, Mahatma Gandhi, Che Guevara. Jesus Christ? The choice, of course, is yours. And, in the spirit of a truly representative/participatory process, all are welcome, especially 60s Revolutionaries! (easy if you have nothing else to wear, just come as a hippy – we just love flairs). Or alternatively, come as the most powerful superhero of all, yourself! We want to continue with our love peace and happiness vibe, every week, but without losing the attitude, and what we wear is part of this. Children and Jedis (with or without light sabres) are of course particularly welcome!

Regular Features of the Day

Aside from the picnic, party/games playing vibe, three key features have already become a regular part of the Sunday event. Timings vary, and depend on weather and police attitude, except for the prayer which is at 4 pm.

1) The People’s Commons Meeting (towards a DIY, non-hierarchical participatory form of democracy) in which all those who wish to take part are invited to sit together for a period of time and take turns in speaking their mind on whatever subject they feel moved to. One person facilitates and another takes Minutes, and these roles rotate each week.

2) Free The Tea in which a group of revolutionaries walk down to the Thames and half way across the river throw tea bags (PG Tips, pyramid shaped) into the river in support of a tax on international currency trade (Currency Transaction Tax or CTT) in order to ring fence billions of pounds each year for international development. We are protesting our government’s (and the G8’s) attitude to Trade Justice. See early Day Motion 500 currently before the House of Commons for more on the CTT. No Corporate Representation without International Taxation! More info at www.tobintax.org.uk

3) Prayer Vigil for Justice and Peace a silent/contemplative prayer asking for help in the battle for a better world, for individuals of all faiths and/or none. Takes place at 4pm.

So please come along and join us for more creative, beautiful, peaceful acts of defiance, and over time we will see what is possible. For more details, please see www1.atwiki.com/picnic (easily editable web page in which everyone is invited to contribute ideas regarding the organisation and direction of the event), www.parliamentprotest.org.uk (a more general site that covers all aspects of the right to protest movement), www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/issues/right-to-protest.shtml (Liberty website’s section on Right To Protest etc)

In the coming weeks we have plans for a banner making workshop (this Sunday, 28th), the formulation of policy (this and every following Sunday), and possibly a pre-party walk along the Thames to London from Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed in 1215 (discussion and date TBA) and of course various other imaginative shenanigans.

Hope to see you there! 12 Noon, on the Green, Parliament Square, Westminster, every Sunday.

Just behind Brian Haw’s banners.

Be there, it's your Square

In Universal Solidarity,
Spark. co-organiser
Personal Site: www.globalnation.org.uk