Skip to content or view screen version

Leeds anti-asbo demonstration - full report and more pictures

Leeds Revolution Member | 23.01.2006 16:56 | Free Spaces | Repression | Social Struggles

A report of Saturday's anti-asbo action and details on the next organising meeting.











Being Young Is Not a Crime: Anti-ASBO demonstration 21/01/06

On Saturday January 21st around 150 youth held a demonstration against the proposed dispersal order that the council are planning to place on Leeds City Centre. The demonstration has come out of anger from young people who use the city centre at weekends, and would be the target of such a dispersal order. Over the last three weeks there have been several large meetings attended by both young people angry at the council’s plans and members of socialist youth organisation Revolution.

At an organising meeting two weeks earlier Revolution members had proposed a march alongside the suggestion of a sit-down protest outside the corn exchange from others present at the meeting. The decision was voted on, and the meeting came to the agreement that at this stage a march on Saturday was the best way of raising the issue publicly. Whilst people at the meeting were in favour of taking direct action in opposition to the council, it was decided that at this stage, such an action would be easy for the police to target, and would crush our campaign before it had started.

The demonstration began from outside the Corn Exchange, with people assembling from around 1.15pm. The plan had been to set off at 2.00pm, allowing time for the crowd to build up. We decided to take a route through the main shopping area on Briggate and down the Headrow, From there we would protest outside the central police station, as harassment by the cops is already a big issue, even though the dispersal order is yet to be bought in. After that, we would finish with a rally outside the corn exchange.

Whilst assembling at the corn exchange around 1.30pm, one of the stewards (elected by a meeting the previous weekend) reported that a corn exchange security guard had rung the police, On hearing this, the stewards made a decision to march fifteen minutes earlier than originally decided so as to avoid a stand-off with the police, who would have almost certainly tried to prevent the march from leaving.

There were several different banners, prepared at a practical session the previous week, reading; ‘NO2ASBOs – Being Young Is Not A Crime!’ ‘Whose Streets? Our Streets!’ and ‘2’s company… 3’s Illegal’ (taking a knock at the dispersal order allowing police to break up or arrest groups of more than three people) Protestors gave out leaflets outlining the our opposition to the proposed dispersal order, and placing demands for free facilities to be used by young people in the city centre. As the march set off towards Briggate we were lively and militant, with two protestors bringing drums, and the rest of the crowd chanting ‘ASBOs? No Way!’, Whose City? Our City! And ‘ASBOs waste of time, being young is not a crime!’

There were still no police present as we arrived at the junction between Briggate and the Headrow. Given this, the decision was made for the march to block the road rather than stay on the pavement. A couple of minutes later two police officers arrived and told us that we were breaking the law by marching on the road and that we must disperse. Their attempt to disrupt our action failed as two stewards took them aside, and everybody else marched on to Millgarth police station. Once outside, we stood chanting and drumming before heading back to rally outside the corn exchange.

As the demonstration came to a close passers by stopped to hear speeches being made, and to take leaflets putting forward our cause. The assembled protestors made it clear that this was not the end of the campaign, but the beiginning, and should the dispersal order be bought in mass civil disobedience would be used to break the order and protect our rights.

All in all it was successful day’s work, and bought the campaign good publicity among the people in Leeds city centre on Saturday. At a de-briefing afterwards, it was decided that an organising meeting to decide on where we will take the campaign next is to be held on Saturday January 21st. This is going to be at the Adelphi hotel between 2pm and 4pm (with assurance from the manager that that they will allow U18s on to the premises) For those people who do not know how to get there, we will be meeting up at Corn Exchange at 1.45pm to take people down.

If you, your residents association or your trade union branch want to oppose the city centre dispersal order, or have information about dispersal orders and ASBOs in Leeds, please come to the meeting on Saturday and help us build the campaign.

Leeds Revolution Member

Additions

correction - organising meeting on Saturday January 28th

24.01.2006 12:00

Thanks for pointing that out LordRich.... the organising meeting at the Adelphi hotel is going to be on Saturday 28th of January!

Leeds Revolution Member


Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

What Date?

23.01.2006 21:50

You mention there will be a meeting on the 21st January - that was the date of the march. Presumably you mean the 28th of January?

LordRich


The Scrutiny Board

24.01.2006 02:14

 http://www.leeds.gov.uk/council%20and%20democracy/council%20meetings%202005-2006/Scrutiny%20Boards/Scrutiny%20at%20Leeds%20City%20Council/Scrutiny%20at%20Leeds%20City%20Council/page.aspx?style=

What they do:
"The role of the Scrutiny Boards and Commissions is to examine decisions and policies of the Council and overall performance of services and make recommendations; like a ‘watchdog’ of the Council, making sure that the people of Leeds get the best out of their public services."

Why it might help to complain:
Children and Young People linked to the strategic outcome ‘our children and young people are healthy, safe and successful’.


You can be involved
Scrutiny Boards can consider suggestions of issues to look at from anyone. If you have a suggestion for a piece of work for the Scrutiny Boards or Commissions, fill in a Scrutiny Request Form and send it to us, either by post or by e-mail. ( scrutiny.unit@leeds.gov.uk)

Your suggestion should be an issue which:
Affects a group of people living in the Leeds area;

Is not an individual complaint about a service (the Council has a complaints process if you are dissatisfied with a service as an individual);

Is not a specific planning or licensing issue.

The Scrutiny Request Form
 http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/2005/week38/inter__ABEC23B56255CEF680256E15004F0FA3_288ee5cf-7f72-4e5a-95b2-e4963bc93bde.pdf

The Guide To Scrutiny.
 http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/2005/week38/inter__ABEC23B56255CEF680256E15004F0FA3_288ee5cf-7f72-4e5a-95b2-e4963bc93bde.pdf

Surely if lazy feckless youthes can get off their lazy arses to go and protest about ASBO'S they're obviously commited to health, safety and success. I didn't fight in two world wars. But If I did I'd ave fought to create a world fit for heroes.

Since the Scrutiny Commisars meet it might be an idea to represent yourselves (all shiny and washed of course) at the appointed day. They keep their diary here.
 http://www.leeds.gov.uk/council%20and%20democracy/council%20meetings%202005-2006/Meetings%20diary%20-%20Leeds%20City%20Council/page.aspx?style=

The next Meeting being Monday 30th at 9:30am.

A Whinging Pensioner


hijacking

27.01.2006 14:25

A bunch of happless burnt out komunists trying to hijack the kids by pretending to care about them.
How Nobel !

billy


*

27.01.2006 16:03

well done guys! looks like a good turnout and is helpful at highlighting the issues raised here to the public.

oh, and billy, what's the point in all the bickering between the left, i tell you, i'm f*cking sick of it. 1) revolution is a SOCIALIST youth group. and 2) i mean, it's obvious how much they DON'T care about the 'kids' -planning all these actions in their cause. dumbass.

red0rblack?


Politics of the estate.

27.01.2006 21:05

‘’’’’Whilst people at the meeting were in favour of taking direct action in opposition to the council,’’’’’

THEY SHOULD TRY TO OPPOSE THEM IN THE ELECTIONS, considering the students are so little of the electorate in the city.

HAVE THEY ASKED WHY THE COUNCIL WANTS TO APPLY THE ORDER, do they realise there was a time not so long ago when students used the pubs around the hyde park area, Headingly and one club in the city centre. check the cities history.

‘’Whose City? Our City’’ Leeds United for the leodians, used to be fun watching the stray students run, shift fast.

IT WASN’T THE COUNCILS FAULT, it was the indiginouse residents, or at least their ‘’lads’’.

HAS ANYONE SEEN THE ‘’LADS’’ FROM THE ESTATES WHEN THEY DECIDE TO HAVE FUN ?

They used to have the ‘’idea’’ in their heads that students were all taught the ideology of the middle classes, amazzing what an ‘’idea’’ can do. Where did they get it from?

***
NOW THIS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, WATCHING THEM TRY TO ORGANISE IT WOULD BE A LAUGH, some live in dream worlds.

‘’’’’and should the dispersal order be bought in mass civil disobedience would be used to break the order and protect our rights.’’’’’’

Politics are changing in the city. Wow

Stuart Maty


corn-xchange

17.02.2006 17:24

hey i was there in the gang of peaple in the prostest it was so awsome and i think it should relli hepl us all out

amy
mail e-mail: amy-lb@hotmail.co.uk