While Nelson Mandela was extolling the virtues of freedom on one side of Parliament Square some anti-war demonstrators were having their freedom of speech severely curtailed by police on the other side of the square. The difference being that Mandela was allowed several thousand Watts of PA while the protesters just had their own little voices. Fortunately,a sense of police shame finally seemed to prevail, due no doubt to the presence of lots of cameras, and the protesters were then allowed to continue. One was even applauded by members of the public after her unamplified speech in which she mentions the horrible effects of depleted Uranium.

Those figured in the video gave their consent to publication by independent media, apart from Brian Haw who doesn't seem to mind anyway. Not that it makes much difference because they we constantly videoed by the police, the so-called Forward Intelligence Team (FIT), who also photographed the Mayor of London's staff in Mandela's audience.

Brian has managed to live in Parliament Square with banners for more than 2000 days, despite numerous police trumped-up charges and bungled court appearances, and is protesting about the government's war crimes. Brian is the one with the hat studded with badges.

For more about Brian Haw and his supporters and the SOCPA law, which requires prior police permission for all demonstrations involving freedom of speech and expression within a proscribed zone around Parliament, see:

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379722.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379976.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2006/socpa/