several hundred people from all walks of life came together at the westminster cathedral piazza in victoria this afternoon, to protest and campaign against a proposed new westminster bye-law which aims to criminalise soup runs for homeless people

at a time when the government is creating huge cuts in services, and cameron is plugging his 'big society' agenda of volunteer provision, it seems bizarre that westminster council should be considering introducing a bye-law to specifically ban providing food for the homeless in the area.

but with a consultation in progress this month, westminster is hoping to introduce the new bye-law soon, and certainly before the royal wedding at the end of april.

one group most affected by the new law would be the volunteer-run charity 'street souls', which for two years has been providing a soup run outside the westminster cathedral on the first and third friday of each month. spokesman david coombe has promised to defy the law even if it means jail.

the new bye-law proposes a £500 fine for feeding homeless people in the area, and a ban on sleeping rough or putting down bedding in the area. at present, sandwich shops like 'pret a manger' hand out unsold stock, and homeless volunteers collect and redistribute the food among their peers. the shops will not be allowed to do this any longer, instead throwing the food away, and the volunteers would face fines for their efforts.

the council claims that the soup runs attract people who aren't genuinely homeless, and complains that residents feel unsafe walking down certain streets, intimidated by street drinking and "fed up of exposure to the associated detritus".

campaigners point out that they have strict policies, respect the neighbourhood, sweep and wash the area after soup runs, and have had zero incidents. they also point to the number of incidents caused by suited drinkers leaving pubs and clubs late at night, and tell of incidents where homeless sleepers have been urinated on by drunken besuited mobs.

the charity 'housing justice' which co-ordinates soup runs in london, points out that apart from the food aspect, the events are invaluable for providing links, companionship, and entry to other help among people who are very vulnerable and sometimes distrustful of other intervention. even the charity which chairs the london mayor's round table on homelessness (homeless link) have said that although they don't agree the soup runs are helpful they don't think banning them is any solution.

this afternoon's protest was a good-natured affair, with food provided by local hare krishna groups, who also provided some music. there was entertainment too from the drum band "maracatu". many street people attended, and chatted with visitors.

at 4pm there was a flash mob sleep-in, and dozens of people suddenly lay down in the piazza. the flash mob was organised by the group 'sock mob' who have started a scheme to empower street people by training them to conduct walking/talking tours of their area. paying visitors get a new perspective on parts of london, and the business model is extending and aiming to be self-sufficient, with street people introducing others into it, giving them a source of income, a way to engage with mainstream society, and a means to remove the stigma around marginalised groups which often prevent them from participating meaningfully, socially and culturally.

campaigners call the westminster legislation cruel, heartless, ill-conceived and flawed, but the council is still touting its 'consultation' process which closes at the end of the month. they are buoyed by support from two local service providers, st mungo's and thamesreach. on the face of it, these organisations are well-placed to comment sensibly on the proposals, however, the announcement of support has been met with alarm by many of their own outreach workers, and the suspicion is that both organisations stand to gain from grants to run services, and so want to maximise attendance. but many street people are highly suspicious of institutionalised help, and they are much more amenable to the small-scale volunteer projects.

as well as protest, a campaign to flood the consultation with 'no' votes, and the threat of civil disobedience, there may also be a legal route to challenge any such bye-law. 'rough sleepers' are recognised, along with gypsy travellers and other such groups, as 'alternative lifestyles', and so any legislation targetting such a group and singling it out might be challenged under human rights law, for criminalising people for their views and lifestyle.