barbara tucker has been 'reported to the crown prosecution service for possible summons for holding an unauthorised demonstration in the designated area' more than fifty times, mostly for standing around outside downing street wearing her trademark pink banners. she actually notified the police months ago of her continuing demonstrations as required under the socpa legislation, but they have unlawfully refused to authorise her, instead raising a technicality later.

incredibly, despite being reported so many times, detained several times, and occasionally assaulted, she has been summonsed just once. but it is clear that superintendent terry is now determined to be rid of her peaceful protest by whatever means necessary. on august 5th, the day of the large national lebanon occupation demonstration, as people left the rally in parliament square barbara took up her usual position outside downing street. charing cross police approached her and first reported her for the socpa offence. she refused to move away, knowing that she had notified police of her protest and that their 'report' stood little chance of becoming a prosecution. they then tried to use a public order act, claiming that the photographs on her banner were causing alarm or distress to the public. however, one of her supporters went around the gathering crowd asking if anyone was alarmed or distressed - most said 'only by tony blair's policies'. as superintendent terry's gang of uniformed thugs continued their harrassment of this peaceful woman, the crowd grew larger, and the police then claimed that she was causing an obstruction of the highway. they duly grabbed her, handcuffed her behind her back, slung her in the back of a van, and because local cells were already full of other peaceful protestors targetted that day, she was driven to kentish town station, where she was held for more than two hours still in tight handcuffs in a clear breach of the police and criminal evidence act (pace), before being released on bail.

last week, she was approached outside downing street by two officers she had not met before. they started talking to her about tony blair's 'security', and mentioned 'terrorism' several times. a sri lankan protestor, part of an authorised demo at the time, pointed out to her that the officers were wired for sound. it seems they may have been attempting to incriminate her under some sort of terrorist offence.

on sunday, she was once again outside downing street with her latest banner which includes pictures from blair's wars, and newspaper headlines including the quote of the british suicide soldier saying 'i can't go to iraq. i can't kill those children'. in a further bizarre twist she was approached by pc vogler who told her he was from 'central ops'. he told her to move on, and when she refused he threatened he would section her under the mental health act for her own protection in case someone 'whacked' her for her protest. in her inimitable style, barbara kicked up a furore, more charing cross officers attended, and after discussion between the police and the diplomatic protection officers at downing street pc vogler decided not to go through with his threat on this occasion. the officers let slip that vogler was in fact seconded to charing cross.

because of these recent frightening events, barbara asked her friend steve jago to attend charing cross with her on monday morning for her bail under the august 5th arrest. at reception he was told he couldn't come in with her. barbara and steve insisted, and then two plain clothes officers beckoned them into the area area out of public view but only then denied steve further access. he tried to film their conversation and the police attacked him to remove his camera. further altercations occured when they tried to detain him, even though he had come to the police station voluntarily and was not charged. in the struggle, he was savagely poked or stabbed in his neck by something, and a pool of blood resulted from the wound. he was subsequently detained until nearly midnight without the requisite food and drink before finally being released on police bail under suspicion of 'obstruction of a police officer in the execution of their duty'. he will be filing charges against the police involved. by co-incidence, when he was being processed, although his fingerprints and dna were taken, the police camera mysteriously was not functioning, so they couldn't capture his face and bloodstained neck.

barbara meanwhile had also been assaulted once more, and was eventually attended by her solicitor who was told by police that she was also being held for 'obstruction of a police officer in the execution of their duty'. it seems that matter was dealt with and the solicitor left the station, but the police continued to hold barbara, again without adequate food and water. they didn't tell her why she was being held, and didn't allow her to make any more calls. supporters learnt that she was being held overnight to appear in court the next morning, but barbara herself had no idea until she was taken to the serco transportation van in the morning.

arriving at the court to face judge nicholas evans she eventually learnt that she was to be tried for the 5th august 'obstruction of the highway' offence. she was to be represented by the duty solicitor, but the serco officers, realising something was not right, thankfully agreed to notify her own solicitors who then had to fight the case unprepared.

the police pressed for her to be remanded in custody at holloway prison for two weeks until a hearing on the 19th september - all this for an 'obstruction of the highway' case! her barrister from garden court chambers soon managed to dismiss this (that's probably why the police tried to avoid inviting her), but then had to fight their next move which was to press for conditional bail banning barbara from entering the socpa designated zone. again, using human rights arguments, the solicitor won. so for the moment, barbara is still free - but it was a narrow escape. 'obstruction of the highway' cases are notoriously difficult to prove and are often dropped at the last moment by the prosecution and yet, if the serco officers hadn't intervened, and if superintendent terry (who was seen at charing cross on monday night) had got his way, barbara tucker would have been languishing in holloway prison this week for her caring about genocide. as barbara had an appointment to see her solicitor after the bail appearance, she was carrying legal papers relating to her socpa trial, including tape recordings, private correspondence with her lawyer, their full legal defence including matters not yet revealed to the police. all this had been confiscated and most likely reviewed by the police while she was in custody.

the socpa law was thought to have been introduced specifically to rid parliament square of brian haw (see also  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/09/350202.html), but it is also part of a pattern of criminalisation of free speech, dissent and protest. as a new law, hastily written, it has faced difficulties and challenges. in response to these, and as part of the bigger pattern of repression, the police, and especially charing cross, have resorted to underhand, even criminal actions to frighten and dissuade peaceful citizens from exercising their rights and duties. thankfully a bold few have stood against the thuggery, the lawlessness, and the terror. i hope that one day, the perpetrators will be brought to account.