UK London Metropolitan Police continued to gag peaceful protest using laws designed to tackle organised crime and terrorism on Sunday 7 August.
Six people were arrested under section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill (SOCPB), participation or organisation of an unauthorised protest.
At midday up to 200 demonstrators gathered on Parliament Square green, opposite the Houses of Parliament, for the Mass Act of Defiance.
There was a large visible police presence before the demonstration had started. Up to 15 police vans encircled the square, some filled with officers waiting for possible trouble.
Police officers patrolled the square, using stop and search orders to get the names and addresses of anyone who could be a possible protestor.
Police photographic FIT teams catalogued the protestors and journalists attending the event.
One freelance photojournalist gave out his business cards: “Just in case they arrest me, then you know who I am."
Several protestors brought banners. One said: “Defend right to protest.”
Another said: “Exercising our human right to freedom of peaceful assembly makes us criminals.”
As police issued notices of an unauthorised demonstration, an unexpected visit from the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army caused considerable interest and laughter. The clowns (CIRCA) had not been seen since the anti-G8 protests in Scotland a month earlier.
Nervous police filmed and took notes on the clowns, then issued them with SOCPB leaflets.
“I can’t read it, its upside down,” said one of the male clowns.
They then pulled out a toy eagle and dropped it on the floor: “It’s ill,” said a clown: “It’s an ill eagle.”
“An ill eagle protest,” added another clown.
Twenty minutes after the SOCPB leaflets were distributed to protestors the police moved in.
A group of twenty officers, backed up by one FIT squad, targeted the first placard carriers.
The protestors were asked to stop their demonstration and when they refused they were then arrested.
Crowds gathered around the arresting officers chanting: “Shame on you.”
Police surrounded each arrest in a tactic known as “C Section” where they block anyone from getting too close to the arresting officers.
“It’s my human right to protest,” yelled the first protestor as she was taken away to a waiting police van.
One woman dropped to the floor as police arrested her. Officers pulled her to her feet and put her hand in a lock.
“You’re hurting her,” screamed another protestor, as a solid wall of officers pulled the arrested woman towards another waiting police van.
“It’s madness,” said one woman: “How can you go and kill so many thousands of people [in Iraq] and yet you refuse freedom and democracy here?”
“I can not comment about that,” said one officer.
Within 15 minutes six protestors had been arrested, police targeting anyone carrying a banner.
One protestor in a white cowboy hat called on others to follow him to the river Thames to dump teabags in a anti-tax re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party.
The demonstration ended with a mass sit-down. Protestors chanted: “Protest by right.”
This single peaceful action immediately drew in a substantial number of police officers, but all ended with cheering protestors and no further arrests.
One clown member was held under stop and search laws, but was soon released when the only weapon found on him was a multicoloured tickling stick.
At midday up to 200 demonstrators gathered on Parliament Square green, opposite the Houses of Parliament, for the Mass Act of Defiance.
There was a large visible police presence before the demonstration had started. Up to 15 police vans encircled the square, some filled with officers waiting for possible trouble.
Police officers patrolled the square, using stop and search orders to get the names and addresses of anyone who could be a possible protestor.
Police photographic FIT teams catalogued the protestors and journalists attending the event.
One freelance photojournalist gave out his business cards: “Just in case they arrest me, then you know who I am."
Several protestors brought banners. One said: “Defend right to protest.”
Another said: “Exercising our human right to freedom of peaceful assembly makes us criminals.”
As police issued notices of an unauthorised demonstration, an unexpected visit from the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army caused considerable interest and laughter. The clowns (CIRCA) had not been seen since the anti-G8 protests in Scotland a month earlier.
Nervous police filmed and took notes on the clowns, then issued them with SOCPB leaflets.
“I can’t read it, its upside down,” said one of the male clowns.
They then pulled out a toy eagle and dropped it on the floor: “It’s ill,” said a clown: “It’s an ill eagle.”
“An ill eagle protest,” added another clown.
Twenty minutes after the SOCPB leaflets were distributed to protestors the police moved in.
A group of twenty officers, backed up by one FIT squad, targeted the first placard carriers.
The protestors were asked to stop their demonstration and when they refused they were then arrested.
Crowds gathered around the arresting officers chanting: “Shame on you.”
Police surrounded each arrest in a tactic known as “C Section” where they block anyone from getting too close to the arresting officers.
“It’s my human right to protest,” yelled the first protestor as she was taken away to a waiting police van.
One woman dropped to the floor as police arrested her. Officers pulled her to her feet and put her hand in a lock.
“You’re hurting her,” screamed another protestor, as a solid wall of officers pulled the arrested woman towards another waiting police van.
“It’s madness,” said one woman: “How can you go and kill so many thousands of people [in Iraq] and yet you refuse freedom and democracy here?”
“I can not comment about that,” said one officer.
Within 15 minutes six protestors had been arrested, police targeting anyone carrying a banner.
One protestor in a white cowboy hat called on others to follow him to the river Thames to dump teabags in a anti-tax re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party.
The demonstration ended with a mass sit-down. Protestors chanted: “Protest by right.”
This single peaceful action immediately drew in a substantial number of police officers, but all ended with cheering protestors and no further arrests.
One clown member was held under stop and search laws, but was soon released when the only weapon found on him was a multicoloured tickling stick.
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Please explain
09.08.2005 13:29
curious
serious
09.08.2005 17:19
This act is all about serious organised crime and serious organised police. Presumably it intends to curtail, er..... both?
Matt
Section 132
09.08.2005 17:19
This was because we had commited one of the following "Crimes" A) organised a demonstration in a public place in the designated area. B) taken part in a demonstration in the designated area. C) carried on a demonstration by himself in a public place in the designated area.
I believe Jason was referring to "Our Esteemed Leaders" justifications for having the Designated area in the first place. The designated area is according to the notice set out in sections 132-138 of the act.
Simon Phillips
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Terror?
10.08.2005 21:40
Well, considering when it was first talked about in Parliament, and the press, it was refered to as a law designed to tackle organised crime and terrorism, and still is.
I'd call that an anti-terror law.
But where it being used against peaceful protest came in and building an exclusion zone around parliament, and trying to rid the country of public enemy No1, Brian Haw, perhaps you can explain that?
But thank you very much Curious of OPSI.GOV. Look forward to seeing you scouting my own site.
Jason N. Parkinson
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Don't believe the hype
11.08.2005 11:02
If I read an item in, say, the Daily Mail with 'anti-terror' in the heading but nothing in the body of the article to substantiate it, I would take it for subtle propaganda; a trick of planting the suggestion that the protest was pro-terrorist but not actually saying it. That prejudices the reader to be just a little less disposed to identify with the protesters.
That is the Daily Mail and its like. What does it convey used in Indymedia?
The Act is directly anti-protest both in Brian Haw's case and on Animal Rights. And the minister can extend the part that refers to Animal Rights protests to any other kind of protest.
The Act is not anti-terror. It is anti-protest among other things.
One of the propaganda ploys of governments to suggest that any opposition, other than 'loyal opposition', is at one with people who put bombs on trains. That is why the will talk about 'unsightly' protests and bombings in the same sentence. Suggesting, not saying. If they suggest it often enough people will begin to believe it.
It is especially important that that people doing the protesting don't start to take the idea onboard themselves. Some seem to enjoy the idea that they are as 'dangerous' as real 'terrorists'. Being booted out of Parliment Sq has never been so exciting. This is the beginning of the process of believing the propaganda - and of being crushed by it.
curious
Anti-terror, anti-protest
11.08.2005 16:15
The reason the basic description of this bill is not in the article, it was covered in the August 1 article and on Greatreporter.
Please check the archives of various newspapers, this law has been described as part of anti-terror legislation, designed to tackle organised crime and terrorism are the words used, many of the clauses were drafted in from the Civil Contingencies Bill after that bill was refused by the House of Lords as too much, including extension of detainment for interigation.
The protest ban in Parliament Square comes directly from that, except in CCB it called for a ban on all public opposition to government policy.
I certainly agree, the lines between protest and terrorism are being merged by the authorities, so they can be classed and dealt with in the same manner. This, in itself, is a very dangerous situation for all who have a mind and want to think for themselves, for those who believe it is right to disagree.
Hope that clears this up a bit.
Okay for now.
Jason N. Parkinson
e-mail:
nixon@vault.securewebhosting.net
Homepage:
http://www.reprogrammingthedesensitised.com