the two protestors who banner-dropped parliament during the afghanistan debate, were taken into custody last night. they were released early this morning with highly restrictive bail conditions.

seamus has been banned from within the M25 motorway area except for answering police bail or court appointments, and he has to sign on each day between noon and 3 pm at a swansea police station (effective from today).

as he was released from custody at about 5 am, he was therefore given around ten hours to organise finance and arrangements to get himself to swansea or immediately face a breach of bail warrant.

the reasons given by police as to why the conditions appear necessary were: to prevent his disappearance and ensure he doesn't return to london, to protect designated sites in london, and to prevent him being shot or harmed by officers within a protected site.

maria, who has been protesting in parliament square for many years, first as a supporter of brian haw, and then running her own peace strike campaign, has been banned from westminster for similar reasons.

since both have only ever been involved in protests that have caused embarassment to security rather than posing any risk, the conditions would appear to be a disproportionate response worryingly curtailing their right to peaceful protest.

they were both arrested under the serious organised crime and police act (SOCPA) and specifically section 128, which gives the power to impose prison sentences of up to 51 weeks and £5000 fines

at the time that the SOCPA legislation came in, campaigners worried how it might be applied against peaceful dissent, but were assured that it would only be used against terrorists.

so while peaceful protest is curtailed outside parliament, the real terrorists inside vote to continue killing women and children in afghanistan until the oil pipelines and valuable minerals are secured for western interests.