SOCPA - open letter to ken livingstone
rikki | 22.08.2007 15:09 | SOCPA | Repression | London
peace campaigner barbara tucker has written an open letter to the mayor which she has copied to various government departments, the police, the prosecution service and media. in it she challenges the legality of the latest harrassment of peace protestors in parliament square (see report on raid at 
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/378707.html)
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/378707.html)
Barbara Tucker
Parliament Square Peace Campaign
Parliament Square
London
SW1
22.08.07.
OPEN LETTER.
RE: The Illegal occupation of Parliament Square by Kommandant Ken et al.
Mr Livingstone,
As you know, aside from the disingenuous and subjective public froth of you and others, there is much commonsense national and international case law, incl. regarding the necessity of the state to have a “legitimate aim” - including from Lord Denning, DPP vs Jones, Westminster CC vs Haw and indeed most recently in the quite unusual case of DPP vs Haw that nevertheless upholds incl. the – positive - legal obligation on the state to assist and facilitate peaceful campaigning, by the people, which is seen as the “lifeblood of democracy”.
In the interests of clarity, I copy several helpful links:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2007/08//378713.wmv
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/378707.html
documenting your unfolding and ongoing crime in Parliament Square beginning 17 /08/07, whereby with many other government agencies, you have colluded in what is increasingly being revealed as an ever growing quite extra-ordinary dirty tricks campaign of quite some shocking proportions.
This increasingly desperate campaign by this government – against a group of law - abiding peaceful people, has shown an increasingly reckless disregard for the rule of law, personal safety, liberty, property – you name it – involving:
repeated thefts, including of legally privileged property
repeated criminal damage of property
repeated unlawful arrests (I alone have been arrested around nineteen times and “reported” well over 100 times to goodness knows whom by police – involving how many police and hours in custody and courts – for saying “stop killing children”)
repeated sometimes –violent- assaults
repeated unlawful police and court bail/conditions – seeking to prevent our attending our own hearings and trials, or as witnesses etc. and incl. attempts to have us arrested and imprisoned for living, breathing and existing in the U.K.
and even an abduction based on an arrest warrant that was known to be obtained, issued and executed under false pretences,
including during the very many irregular and vexatious court proceedings, against numerous members of Brian Haws Parliament Square Peace Campaign,
repeated fraudulent police records
all of which have at times involved extraordinary state violence, and lengthy unlawful detentions etc.
even attempting to unlawfully use a ridiculous “community order” intended to make – peacefully – campaigning an imprisonable offence
and a unique court “banning order” whereby the state can abuse and assault Brian Haw and myself, yet unlawfully seeks advance notice of our legally privileged information and the right to assault and obstruct us in our efforts to seek proper legal redress.
Brian Haw takes very great exception with the fact lawyers had many months ago as you know requested from you a legal basis that might deny fellow campaigners basic rights to which you did not respond.
Further, no member of Brian Haw’s Parliament Square Peace Campaign had - indeed as was necessary in law - been served with any eviction papers.
There is shown yet again no legal basis in law allowing the state to – yet again arbitrarily - interfere to try to limit / shut down a peaceful 24/7 all weathers campaign of peaceful law abiding members of the public that is taking place in a public place.
We are all as you have – always - known, (e.g refer House of Lords Hansard) peacefully campaigning outside this government, against this government who are unlawfully killing innocent civilians in brutal wars of aggression.
The most serious interference there can be is the taking of the life of another. With any serious interference there comes responsibility.
You are shown, after your staff were specifically warned regarding their harassment - like the rest of this government to have an ever increasing reckless and complete disregard for - any - law etc, while in this instance - members of Brian Haws Parliament Square Peace Campaign and their property are shown clearly unlawfully assaulted including while being “arrested”, “de-arrested” or just grabbed - while criminal damage of personal property is deliberately caused and illegal barriers erected etc.
Quite where you showed any respect to Brian Haw would entirely escape any reasonable observer looking at the video.
I chose during these continuing unlawful interferences by the state, while Maria Gallestegui, Gary, Eric and even Brian Haw are shown being assaulted, to put my trust in the public and take my peaceful campaigning into the middle of five lanes of traffic, which indeed proved a safer place to be.
That evening members of the campaign were further –extraordinarily - violently assaulted. I sustained a violent blow to my head which had the blow connected where intended – in my face – would have resulted – given our –evidence of the force used – with at the bare minimum my being out of action for many months.
On Sunday 19th August 2007, after I was compelled to peacefully “demonstrate” – “the lifeblood of democracy” – whilst ironically being - crushed - by five of your thugs who were encouraged on by nine police officers from Charing Cross, I was further unlawfully arrested in rear handcuffs and unlawfully detained without review – by the less than impartial police - for some fifteen hours as indeed was Brian Haw some time after, for some nine hours, in not only a further desperate attempt to shut down the campaign, but as indeed often happens, to “contain” and “conceal” that – in fact - we were showing and reporting the criminal acts of you, your “security” and the Metropolitan Police.
Indeed SOCPA 2005 Section 132-138 which lacks the necessary open and transparent “decision making processes” is shown time and again to have no legitimate aim, to not be HRA compliant, and to merely be a generic – arbitrary – unforeseeable - Law OF Harassment, a.k.a “the because I can Act 1984”, by this government,
involving serious abuses of extensive criminal “powers” by and behind the complicit smokescreen of the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Judiciary – whereby – as is pretty much common knowledge in Westminster Village now - the state commit and then seek to contain/conceal some quite serious criminal acts by government – against – law abiding - peaceful people.
Gordon Brown et al are undoubtedly War Criminals with the necessary criminal intent shown to which they have no legal defence whatsoever with –just - their illegal use of nuclear depleted uranium where the only intended consequence was as this government clearly knew in advance - genocide.
As Brian Haw correctly stated in the High Court on 24th July 2007, whilst expanding on the people’s “skeleton argument” – “that nothing (the state are doing) is prescribed by law” – Brian showed that while “Genocide, the worst crime known to humanity is of course on the statute books” and is of course “absolutely unlawful” - “bearing witness and –peaceful- expression against genocide…” is not prescribed by law.
On all counts Brian Haw is and was found, (despite the best efforts of three QC’s, a Lord Justice and the Lord Chief Justice – all “appointed” by the Attorney General, a war criminal), to be correct, as per our letter 10/07/07 and email 03/08/07.
All, including Westminster City Council would do well to focus on the actual international issues that are important to peaceful people across the world, which is why we are in Parliament Square.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner – following the illegal seizure from Parliament Square on 23rd May 2006, is nothing more than a common thief who has now further been reported by a fellow senior officer for being drunk in public for goodness sakes – while you have clearly disgracefully used and abused your public anti war platform on “Stop the War” – selling down the river - countless lives including of numerous innocent civilian children – the weakest and the most vulnerable – who are being brutalized in this governments illegal wars of aggression.
Each of you have acted solely for purely selfish ends, making money out of the misery and killing of innocent civilians – anywhere.
As a matter of conscience on 06th August, I declined further publicly funded legal representation – a “protection” not afforded to the innocent civilian children being murdered.
“These are real people’s lives we are talking about.”
Objectively and legally speaking - with regard to your collective actions against law abiding peaceful people – everywhere - the very best - that can be said is that you have about “as much authority – as sewer rats… with far less use”.
Accordingly having given careful consideration of this latest “pre - planned event”:
You, your various staff members who were present, the GLA, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and Superintendent Smith from Paddington etc have until 5pm Thursday 23rd August 2007:
to publicly retract your “advance” press release of 17th August 2007, and release a correction. Indeed we were also not “gone” for the 12 hours as portrayed in the Evening Standard follow-up.
provide a written public apology to Brian Haw and the other members of the Parliament Square Peace Campaign
provide a written undertaking to cease and desist from further clearly criminal harassment and worse
provide a written commitment to swift compensation incl. for the various aggravated assaults and aggravated criminal damage caused to the personal property of members of the Peace Campaign.
provide written details of the unidentified individuals from an unknown private company who are taking public money – whilst allegedly – we are told - operating on your behalf as some sort of undefined “security” in Parliament Square.
to undertake to remove the illegal barriers erected in the people’s square, Parliament Square.
provide a breakdown of the financial costs of this latest –joint – operation.
to make a substantial donation to a children’s charity in Iraq.
Barbara Tucker.
(with and on behalf of Brian Haw and the Parliament Square Peace Campaign)
P.S. I will post this – truth - all over your illegal barriers in Parliament Square.
the email was sent to the mayor, plus all the following recipients:
commissioner@met.police.uk; david.riddle@mpa.gov.uk; nick.hardwick@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk; adam.stacey@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk; complaints@cps.gsi.gov.uk; claire.lister@mpa.gov.uk; customer@ojc.gsi.gov.uk; anthony.connell@cps.gsi.gov.uk; diplomatic.protection@met.police.uk; glenn.tunstall@met.police.uk; gl-horseferry.court@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk; homeaffcom@parliament.uk; jeff.bryer@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk; john.silvester@ojc.gsi.gov.uk; john.wheatle@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk; katy.mutch@cps.gsi.gov.uk; membersservices@mpa.gov.uk; new.scotland.yard@met.police.uk; operations-cx@met.police.uk; pippa.harvey@justice.gsi.gov.uk; public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk; simon.clements@cps.gsi.gov.uk; simon.cousins@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk; simon.vile@mpa.gov.uk; yvonne.peart@mpa.gov.uk; treatofficials@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk; news@standard.co.uk
Parliament Square Peace Campaign
Parliament Square
London
SW1
22.08.07.
OPEN LETTER.
RE: The Illegal occupation of Parliament Square by Kommandant Ken et al.
Mr Livingstone,
As you know, aside from the disingenuous and subjective public froth of you and others, there is much commonsense national and international case law, incl. regarding the necessity of the state to have a “legitimate aim” - including from Lord Denning, DPP vs Jones, Westminster CC vs Haw and indeed most recently in the quite unusual case of DPP vs Haw that nevertheless upholds incl. the – positive - legal obligation on the state to assist and facilitate peaceful campaigning, by the people, which is seen as the “lifeblood of democracy”.
In the interests of clarity, I copy several helpful links:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2007/08//378713.wmv http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/378707.html documenting your unfolding and ongoing crime in Parliament Square beginning 17 /08/07, whereby with many other government agencies, you have colluded in what is increasingly being revealed as an ever growing quite extra-ordinary dirty tricks campaign of quite some shocking proportions.
This increasingly desperate campaign by this government – against a group of law - abiding peaceful people, has shown an increasingly reckless disregard for the rule of law, personal safety, liberty, property – you name it – involving:
repeated thefts, including of legally privileged property
repeated criminal damage of property
repeated unlawful arrests (I alone have been arrested around nineteen times and “reported” well over 100 times to goodness knows whom by police – involving how many police and hours in custody and courts – for saying “stop killing children”)
repeated sometimes –violent- assaults
repeated unlawful police and court bail/conditions – seeking to prevent our attending our own hearings and trials, or as witnesses etc. and incl. attempts to have us arrested and imprisoned for living, breathing and existing in the U.K.
and even an abduction based on an arrest warrant that was known to be obtained, issued and executed under false pretences,
including during the very many irregular and vexatious court proceedings, against numerous members of Brian Haws Parliament Square Peace Campaign,
repeated fraudulent police records
all of which have at times involved extraordinary state violence, and lengthy unlawful detentions etc.
even attempting to unlawfully use a ridiculous “community order” intended to make – peacefully – campaigning an imprisonable offence
and a unique court “banning order” whereby the state can abuse and assault Brian Haw and myself, yet unlawfully seeks advance notice of our legally privileged information and the right to assault and obstruct us in our efforts to seek proper legal redress.
Brian Haw takes very great exception with the fact lawyers had many months ago as you know requested from you a legal basis that might deny fellow campaigners basic rights to which you did not respond.
Further, no member of Brian Haw’s Parliament Square Peace Campaign had - indeed as was necessary in law - been served with any eviction papers.
There is shown yet again no legal basis in law allowing the state to – yet again arbitrarily - interfere to try to limit / shut down a peaceful 24/7 all weathers campaign of peaceful law abiding members of the public that is taking place in a public place.
We are all as you have – always - known, (e.g refer House of Lords Hansard) peacefully campaigning outside this government, against this government who are unlawfully killing innocent civilians in brutal wars of aggression.
The most serious interference there can be is the taking of the life of another. With any serious interference there comes responsibility.
You are shown, after your staff were specifically warned regarding their harassment - like the rest of this government to have an ever increasing reckless and complete disregard for - any - law etc, while in this instance - members of Brian Haws Parliament Square Peace Campaign and their property are shown clearly unlawfully assaulted including while being “arrested”, “de-arrested” or just grabbed - while criminal damage of personal property is deliberately caused and illegal barriers erected etc.
Quite where you showed any respect to Brian Haw would entirely escape any reasonable observer looking at the video.
I chose during these continuing unlawful interferences by the state, while Maria Gallestegui, Gary, Eric and even Brian Haw are shown being assaulted, to put my trust in the public and take my peaceful campaigning into the middle of five lanes of traffic, which indeed proved a safer place to be.
That evening members of the campaign were further –extraordinarily - violently assaulted. I sustained a violent blow to my head which had the blow connected where intended – in my face – would have resulted – given our –evidence of the force used – with at the bare minimum my being out of action for many months.
On Sunday 19th August 2007, after I was compelled to peacefully “demonstrate” – “the lifeblood of democracy” – whilst ironically being - crushed - by five of your thugs who were encouraged on by nine police officers from Charing Cross, I was further unlawfully arrested in rear handcuffs and unlawfully detained without review – by the less than impartial police - for some fifteen hours as indeed was Brian Haw some time after, for some nine hours, in not only a further desperate attempt to shut down the campaign, but as indeed often happens, to “contain” and “conceal” that – in fact - we were showing and reporting the criminal acts of you, your “security” and the Metropolitan Police.
Indeed SOCPA 2005 Section 132-138 which lacks the necessary open and transparent “decision making processes” is shown time and again to have no legitimate aim, to not be HRA compliant, and to merely be a generic – arbitrary – unforeseeable - Law OF Harassment, a.k.a “the because I can Act 1984”, by this government,
involving serious abuses of extensive criminal “powers” by and behind the complicit smokescreen of the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Judiciary – whereby – as is pretty much common knowledge in Westminster Village now - the state commit and then seek to contain/conceal some quite serious criminal acts by government – against – law abiding - peaceful people.
Gordon Brown et al are undoubtedly War Criminals with the necessary criminal intent shown to which they have no legal defence whatsoever with –just - their illegal use of nuclear depleted uranium where the only intended consequence was as this government clearly knew in advance - genocide.
As Brian Haw correctly stated in the High Court on 24th July 2007, whilst expanding on the people’s “skeleton argument” – “that nothing (the state are doing) is prescribed by law” – Brian showed that while “Genocide, the worst crime known to humanity is of course on the statute books” and is of course “absolutely unlawful” - “bearing witness and –peaceful- expression against genocide…” is not prescribed by law.
On all counts Brian Haw is and was found, (despite the best efforts of three QC’s, a Lord Justice and the Lord Chief Justice – all “appointed” by the Attorney General, a war criminal), to be correct, as per our letter 10/07/07 and email 03/08/07.
All, including Westminster City Council would do well to focus on the actual international issues that are important to peaceful people across the world, which is why we are in Parliament Square.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner – following the illegal seizure from Parliament Square on 23rd May 2006, is nothing more than a common thief who has now further been reported by a fellow senior officer for being drunk in public for goodness sakes – while you have clearly disgracefully used and abused your public anti war platform on “Stop the War” – selling down the river - countless lives including of numerous innocent civilian children – the weakest and the most vulnerable – who are being brutalized in this governments illegal wars of aggression.
Each of you have acted solely for purely selfish ends, making money out of the misery and killing of innocent civilians – anywhere.
As a matter of conscience on 06th August, I declined further publicly funded legal representation – a “protection” not afforded to the innocent civilian children being murdered.
“These are real people’s lives we are talking about.”
Objectively and legally speaking - with regard to your collective actions against law abiding peaceful people – everywhere - the very best - that can be said is that you have about “as much authority – as sewer rats… with far less use”.
Accordingly having given careful consideration of this latest “pre - planned event”:
You, your various staff members who were present, the GLA, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and Superintendent Smith from Paddington etc have until 5pm Thursday 23rd August 2007:
to publicly retract your “advance” press release of 17th August 2007, and release a correction. Indeed we were also not “gone” for the 12 hours as portrayed in the Evening Standard follow-up.
provide a written public apology to Brian Haw and the other members of the Parliament Square Peace Campaign
provide a written undertaking to cease and desist from further clearly criminal harassment and worse
provide a written commitment to swift compensation incl. for the various aggravated assaults and aggravated criminal damage caused to the personal property of members of the Peace Campaign.
provide written details of the unidentified individuals from an unknown private company who are taking public money – whilst allegedly – we are told - operating on your behalf as some sort of undefined “security” in Parliament Square.
to undertake to remove the illegal barriers erected in the people’s square, Parliament Square.
provide a breakdown of the financial costs of this latest –joint – operation.
to make a substantial donation to a children’s charity in Iraq.
Barbara Tucker.
(with and on behalf of Brian Haw and the Parliament Square Peace Campaign)
P.S. I will post this – truth - all over your illegal barriers in Parliament Square.
the email was sent to the mayor, plus all the following recipients:
commissioner@met.police.uk; david.riddle@mpa.gov.uk; nick.hardwick@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk; adam.stacey@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk; complaints@cps.gsi.gov.uk; claire.lister@mpa.gov.uk; customer@ojc.gsi.gov.uk; anthony.connell@cps.gsi.gov.uk; diplomatic.protection@met.police.uk; glenn.tunstall@met.police.uk; gl-horseferry.court@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk; homeaffcom@parliament.uk; jeff.bryer@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk; john.silvester@ojc.gsi.gov.uk; john.wheatle@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk; katy.mutch@cps.gsi.gov.uk; membersservices@mpa.gov.uk; new.scotland.yard@met.police.uk; operations-cx@met.police.uk; pippa.harvey@justice.gsi.gov.uk; public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk; simon.clements@cps.gsi.gov.uk; simon.cousins@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk; simon.vile@mpa.gov.uk; yvonne.peart@mpa.gov.uk; treatofficials@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk; news@standard.co.uk
rikki
Homepage:
http://www.socpa-movie.blogspot.com
Additions
In defense of the Parliament Square Peace Camp
22.08.2007 20:09
Thank you Barbara and Indymedia for these facts and information on the Peace Camp in Parliament Square.
I have just received this post from a supporter of Ken Livingstone and the GLA postion on the Parliament Square Peace Camp with my reply at the end:
Pro said...
The problem with this press release, as Lindsey German (see: http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=1526) must know full well, is that Brian Haw was not evicted from Parliament Square on Friday at all. Instead he was given a dedicated space to remain on. So his protest was not stopped, as the GLA's statement here rightly points out. You only have to go down there to see for yourself.
What was stopped was a load of other tents on Parliament Square that had nothing to do with Brian Haw.
Neil Williams wrote: ‘The GLA should see it as part of its role to allow the voice of its citizens to be heard, and not just the rich and powerful, but the voice of the ordinary people who are all too often are not heard.’
This is why under Livingstone, London has welcomed the peace movement and hosted events with Stop the War, CND, Muslim Association of Britain, and strongly opposed the war in Iraq.
Far from the 'right to protest' being undermined by the GLA we have all attended dozens of protests facilitated by the GLA on Trafalgar Square and - as I recall - Parliament Square as well, such as the Lebanon protest last year.
And Livingstone strongly took up the Stop the War Coalition's case when the government tried to prevent it from demonstrating in Hyde Park at the time of the biggest anti-war protest.
And, of course, Livingstone spoke at several of these protests himself.
Funny kind of attack on the right to protest.
All these postures against the anti-war Livingstone do is help the pro-war Boris Johnson.
.......................................................................................
Neil Williams said...
Here is my reply to PRO:
In defense of the Parliament Square Peace Camp
No body suggested that Brian Haw had been evicted from Parliament Square (but I wonder if he had just started his vigil if the GLA would have adopted the same position?) but rather his Peace Camp supporters. The Peace Camp were all supporters of Brain Haw and many had been there for a year themselves.
Lindsey German's statement (See: http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=1526) and my own reply to the GLA spokesperson referred to the Peace Camp protesters in Parliament Square who have been evicted by the GLA on some pathetic excuse that they were breaking all sorts of hygiene and health regulations. Like I stated, if the GLA wanted to help it could have laid on toilets and cleaning facilities around the corner in some discreet position, as well as dustbin facilities. Was this really too much to ask for?
Does the GLA really thing that the site of a high mesh fence all around Parliament Square is a better site for tourists and the public than the Peace Camp which has already featured on one well known advert on TV as a symbol of freedom and democracy in London - for surely this is what it did represent.
Contrast the GLA position and that of the proposed mass Peace Camp in Washington DC planned for September 22nd to 29th See: http://encampmenttostopthewar.blogspot.com/
It is well known that Gordon Brown will be making a key note speech on Iraq at the opening of Parliament on Monday 8th October when the Stop The War Coalition will be holding a lobby of Parliament (see: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=256&Itemid=0 ) so why evict the Peace Camp now?
Yes the GLA have been supportive of the Stop The War Coalition and movement but this is no more or less than I would expect from a progressive local authority – it begs the point why they are not being helpful towards the Peace Camp now?
Ken Livingstone has a good track record in supporting the anti-war movement but this did not stop him from openly supporting Oona King, a pro war supporter on the streets of Tower Hamlets in the last election, and I for one will not forget this.
NO of all people it is Ken Livingstone and the GLA who should welcome the Peace Camp and do all they can to facilitate it being able to remain in Parliament Square as a symbol of Peace and democracy in London outside OUR Parliament. It is going to be very ironic and sad to watch in September 2007 1000's of Peace protesters camping in Washington DC, USA but banned in our own Capital city in the UK!
As Barbara Tucker states in her Indymedia UK post (see: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379427.html)
Ken Livingstone and the GLA should provide a written public apology to Brian Haw and the other members of the Parliament Square Peace Campaign and undertake to remove the illegal barriers erected in the people’s square, Parliament Square.
Neil Williams
Respect Supporters Blog
I have just received this post from a supporter of Ken Livingstone and the GLA postion on the Parliament Square Peace Camp with my reply at the end:
Pro said...
The problem with this press release, as Lindsey German (see:
http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=1526) must know full well, is that Brian Haw was not evicted from Parliament Square on Friday at all. Instead he was given a dedicated space to remain on. So his protest was not stopped, as the GLA's statement here rightly points out. You only have to go down there to see for yourself. What was stopped was a load of other tents on Parliament Square that had nothing to do with Brian Haw.
Neil Williams wrote: ‘The GLA should see it as part of its role to allow the voice of its citizens to be heard, and not just the rich and powerful, but the voice of the ordinary people who are all too often are not heard.’
This is why under Livingstone, London has welcomed the peace movement and hosted events with Stop the War, CND, Muslim Association of Britain, and strongly opposed the war in Iraq.
Far from the 'right to protest' being undermined by the GLA we have all attended dozens of protests facilitated by the GLA on Trafalgar Square and - as I recall - Parliament Square as well, such as the Lebanon protest last year.
And Livingstone strongly took up the Stop the War Coalition's case when the government tried to prevent it from demonstrating in Hyde Park at the time of the biggest anti-war protest.
And, of course, Livingstone spoke at several of these protests himself.
Funny kind of attack on the right to protest.
All these postures against the anti-war Livingstone do is help the pro-war Boris Johnson.
.......................................................................................
Neil Williams said...
Here is my reply to PRO:
In defense of the Parliament Square Peace Camp
No body suggested that Brian Haw had been evicted from Parliament Square (but I wonder if he had just started his vigil if the GLA would have adopted the same position?) but rather his Peace Camp supporters. The Peace Camp were all supporters of Brain Haw and many had been there for a year themselves.
Lindsey German's statement (See:
http://www.respectcoalition.org/?ite=1526) and my own reply to the GLA spokesperson referred to the Peace Camp protesters in Parliament Square who have been evicted by the GLA on some pathetic excuse that they were breaking all sorts of hygiene and health regulations. Like I stated, if the GLA wanted to help it could have laid on toilets and cleaning facilities around the corner in some discreet position, as well as dustbin facilities. Was this really too much to ask for? Does the GLA really thing that the site of a high mesh fence all around Parliament Square is a better site for tourists and the public than the Peace Camp which has already featured on one well known advert on TV as a symbol of freedom and democracy in London - for surely this is what it did represent.
Contrast the GLA position and that of the proposed mass Peace Camp in Washington DC planned for September 22nd to 29th See:
http://encampmenttostopthewar.blogspot.com/ It is well known that Gordon Brown will be making a key note speech on Iraq at the opening of Parliament on Monday 8th October when the Stop The War Coalition will be holding a lobby of Parliament (see:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=256&Itemid=0 ) so why evict the Peace Camp now? Yes the GLA have been supportive of the Stop The War Coalition and movement but this is no more or less than I would expect from a progressive local authority – it begs the point why they are not being helpful towards the Peace Camp now?
Ken Livingstone has a good track record in supporting the anti-war movement but this did not stop him from openly supporting Oona King, a pro war supporter on the streets of Tower Hamlets in the last election, and I for one will not forget this.
NO of all people it is Ken Livingstone and the GLA who should welcome the Peace Camp and do all they can to facilitate it being able to remain in Parliament Square as a symbol of Peace and democracy in London outside OUR Parliament. It is going to be very ironic and sad to watch in September 2007 1000's of Peace protesters camping in Washington DC, USA but banned in our own Capital city in the UK!
As Barbara Tucker states in her Indymedia UK post (see:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379427.html) Ken Livingstone and the GLA should provide a written public apology to Brian Haw and the other members of the Parliament Square Peace Campaign and undertake to remove the illegal barriers erected in the people’s square, Parliament Square.
Neil Williams
Respect Supporters Blog
Neil Williams
e-mail:
neilwilliams1952@gmail.com
Homepage:
http://respectuk.blogspot.com/
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