PARLIAMENT SQUARE PICNIC BROKEN UP BY POLICE

rikki | 28.08.2005 19:47 | SOCPA | London

in another blow to democracy a peaceful picnic was broken up and one person arrested this afternoon in parliament square under 'serious organised crime' legislation designed but failed to remove brian haw's protest from outside parliament

peace cakes

a lovely day for a picnic

the sun shines

community gestapo arrive

police quiz some picnickers

checking the mugshots

inspector hart and his henchman

collecting evidence

meanwhile the only actual protester gets ignored

the arrest

police provoke the arrestee to start shouting slogans

all litter was removed

this afternoon a group of picnickers got together on parliament square behind brian haw's placards to convene a small 'people's parliament, to share lunch, tea, biscuits and cakes, to play croquet, and to hold a banner-making workshop to prepare for future anti-war and other issue demonstrations.

at no point did any of the group demonstrate, and no loud-hailers were used. the banners were being made for future use, and no-one was holding them up or protesting in any visible way.

after a couple of hours of enjoyment in the glorious sunshine a couple of concerned community support officers stopped by to investigate what heinous crimes were being committed. unable to deal with the dangerous situation themselves, they were soon on their radios asking for police back-up. the picnic people offered them tea while they waited, but they declined.

after a while, a male and a female police officer turned up. they were asking whether there was a protest going on, and they were re-assured that there wasn't. however, confused by the situation, they radioed for back-up. they were also offered tea, but declined.

after a further wait, more senior police turned up, and began to try and collect evidence that dangerous crimes were being committed. unable to decide for themselves, they radioed for back-up.

finally police inspector hart himself turned up. he took a good look at the situation with his henchman, and he then reached the conclusion that this was not a picnic, but was a demonstration. the peaceful picnickers were aghast, and tried to explain to him that they were simply making banners for future use, and none had been held up in anger, or in order to persuade the public or parliament to change their views (surely the sign or very point of a protest). however inspector hart was having none of it, and he decided that the person who had been doing most of the talking must be some sort of ringleader and therefore a dangerous protester liable for arrest. meanwhile, some other guy who had been sitting for some of the afternoon on a deck-chair near brian stood up with a strange placard about police spies, and started wandering around shouting slogans. somehow even the eagle-eyed inspector completely missed the man's shouts and banner waving while carting the 'organiser' off to the police van and to west end central station.

having done their dirty deed, the police went away leaving the rest of the picnickers to tidy up (or carry on banner making it seemed!) and leave.

ok, i've been a bit flippant here, but this really is quite serious! think about it - what the hell's going on? in the situation of most crimes, police have the power of discretion as to whether it's worth arresting someone. this is based on the grounds of how serious a crime is being committed, whether there's a public nuisance element, whether the culprit is likely to re-offend, and whether it's worth all the paperwork.

what was interesting and intriguing about this afternoon is that there is clearly an instruction to police to refer protest up the command line, and indeed all the way to inspector. so this inspector had to give up nearly an hour of his time on a sunday afternoon (while the notting hill carnival is going on and while london is apparently under siege from terrorists) in order to decide whether a picnic might be deemed a protest.

the whole operation was on very dubious ground, not least because one officer was seen going through the bags of one of the picnickers and removing protest material in order to use it as evidence against the entirely different person that they arrested. also, at the very moment they were taking the arrestee to the van, the 'police spy' banner man was clearly shouting, holding his banner up and moving around breaking the law, and yet he wasn't arrested. previously, police had been seen looking at a pamphlet of mugshots, and so were clearly targeting people in an evidentially unsound and totally unjust way.

we knew this law was political, but this afternoon showed that in action so clearly.

the 'parliament square eleven' (arrested on two previous protests as opposed to picnics) will appear at bow street court on tuesday morning.

further information is available at www.parliamentprotest.org.uk
and the picnics will continue from twelve noon every sunday with more info and a people's website at www1.atwiki.com/picnic/

rikki

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

Understand, people

29.08.2005 10:40

Look closer!

If you look closer at the picture then you can see an explanation of the actions of the community 'police' - see attached photo.

Above it says- "having done their dirty deed, the police went away leaving the rest of the picnickers to tidy up (or carry on banner making it seemed!) and leave." However I don't remember seeing anyone continuing to make banners - the police put a stop to that clearly. The police prevented other lawful activity in the form of a picnic. Only five minutes were given for the picnickers to clear up so it is not surprising that the arrest occurred. This was intimidation of a lawful picnic by the Police. It should also be made clear that there were several other groups of people sitting on the same grass at the Square who were allowed to continue without the same intimidation. I believe a bag with personal belongings of one of the picnickers was also confiscated to be used as 'evidence' of unlawful activity simply because some of the banners made were put in there in the rush to clear up in five minutes.

Brian B

Thanks to Rikki

29.08.2005 13:27

Thanks to Rikki and others who have the courage to get out there and test the limits of this new borderline-fascist legislation. Do people know if those going to court want others to show up and express solidarity?

Sean

Sean

hypocrisy

29.08.2005 13:38

It was hard not to see a certain kind of hypocrisy highlighted on the day by an article on the front page of what appeared to be a new free newspaper handed out on the day of the picnic. This newspaper was focussed on the issue of the arms trade and the DSEi Exhibition held every two years with the help of the Government. At the last exhibition as the newspaper reported, the Police took no action against illegal arms trading due to the fact that they had been advised that to do so would 'embarass' the Government as it had invited those foreign companies to come and exhibit at the event. On the other hand if there are peaceful picnickers then it might embarass Blair if the Police did not take action.

Brian B

clarification

29.08.2005 13:59

just to clarify, although the party was broken up, it seemed that after the arrest all the police dissappeared, and if they had wanted to the picnickers could probably have resumed some banner-making (with what little was left unconfiscated) and then gone through the whole process again. in other words, satisfied that they had got an 'organiser', the police weren't actually interested in upholding this stupid law. they simply use it to target people politically.

i do agree that the police gave very little time for clearing up after first warning and before making their arrest. basically they were trying to intimidate people to scarper quickly or face arrest. meanwhile other picnickers on the green were left unhassled.

the whole exercise seems aimed at trying to pinpoint organisers, cause them as much hassle as possible, and dissuade others from exercising their human rights to free speech and free assembly.

the arrestee was held for more than five hours before getting bail.

but the police were "just following orders" - now where have i heard that before?

rikki

Ideas/Info/Report Etc

30.08.2005 09:52

Hi there

Just a note to report that our party/picnic/sort of protest/vigil
thingie was again a lovely experience. Again, numbers lower than
we'd hope - small but most perfectly formed.

My Arrest

As some of you already know, I got arrested at 1642 (quite a decade
that) in the Square yesterday. The police confiscated a number of
the beautiful placards that had been made, even though
we had not at that point raised them or even had the chance to
discuss what we were going to do with them. My fave was E's "Menace
To Society Age 15" in gold with sequins.

I was not charged - I was instead released on bail after a number of
hours. The police are now going to consult with the Crown
Prosecution Service about how to deal with my case and I will be
told on Sep 16th (coincidentally, my birthday) at Charing X Station
what's next. It looks like they will possibly/probably go for a
prosecution on the grounds of being an organiser of a demo (possibly
in addition to being an individual demonstrator) because they
collected fliers (with my mobile number on) and a copy of a Guardian Online Article which names me as organiser and, as i said, the placards. My overall impression was that the
Police hate this law, they don't know how to deal with it, they
don't even know the terminology of the Act - they accused us of
protesting whereas in fact I noticed that the Statute s132 Serious and Organised Crime POlice Act reads/outlaws "demonstrations" and does not mention even the word protest. May
the Farce Be With You!

+ More Publicity For Next/Coming Weeks!

Wanted to also say let's really make an effort to spread the
word this week - meetings must go on, this issue is important
and the meeting/network that springs from it through our DIY
gatherings in Westminster have a real potential to grow.
Posters, fliers, phone calls, email
lists.. please do whatever you can to get more along next
week. There is lots going on in Sept - French union forces and
others have lots of unrest planned for France and there's Stop The
War on the 24th and also the week of action against the DSEI Arms
Fair 13th-16th Sept in London (where there is a no protest Exclusion
Zone as far as I know under the same Serious and Organised Crime
Police Act as we are dealing with) so the pressure will stay on.

Also the politicians/others will be back from their hols next
Sunday - so hopefully it's time to increase the numbers.

Costume - We Need Images For The Press

If you can do Edwardian costume, boater hat, blazer, shirt, great,
as it'll look great with the croquet .We played croquet this last
weekend - and most seem to agree that the images and reminders of
the 19th C Sufragettes etc with Big Ben will make a lovely image for
the press. Also Maria has
suggested Keystone Cops in coming weeks. Hilarious idea - why not.
Plastic police hats are dead cheap and it would be really funny with
and for the cops. So, why not theme of Edwardian Aristos and
Keystone Cops? Love it. What does anyone else think?

Commons Meeting

I will post brief Minutes from yesterday's interrupted Commons
Meeting soon on the www.1.atwiki.com/picnic site

Suggest also that this week if/when they try to move
us we have in place a plane to regroup for a full Commons Meeting as
we did on the 21st so that we do it properly [this week we had to
finish the Peoples Commons Meeting earlier because of Police asking
us to disperse] and also ensure we are properly organised for the
following week? Somewhere else in the Exclusion Zone. Also, we need
to collect email addresses of new attendees and possible mobile
phone nos of everyone involved/willing? Really feel the Commons
Meeting is important aspect - we must keep it up because of the
location and its deeply democratic quality - and technically its not a demo, and so is not arrestable offence - even though it seems
innocous it's revolutionary and should continue
and grow regardless of what happens with the law and the right to
demonstrate. What do you all think?

Good Ideas For Later

Also Sian and I came up with [for later weeks] for the art class? -
me/all of us dressed in plain pyjamas[or whatever makes sense?]
and then we could draw prisoner arrows all over ourselves[or perhaps
just me,or other arrestees who are willing] and we could make
polystyrene balls and chains for all of us quite easily. Life under
the Modern Govt..pickaxes , doing New hard Labour!! ha ha.

also for winston's breast/placard "We shall protest, on the beaches"

Or another one for him/more generally - "It's Right To Protest!"

or "Me Thinks we cannot protest too much"

and definitely "Evict Big Brother"

the skies the limit with this one.

M

Mark
Homepage: http://www.globalnation.org.uk

legal advice

30.08.2005 12:17

best not to put your name or personal phone number on publicity etc, otherwise you provide the police with evidence to charge you. And remember boys and girls, NO COMMENT. It's for your own protection (& others with you).

supporter

demonstrations

30.08.2005 19:26

if it is demonstrations that are outlawed and not protests, maybe some people could take along some nice new gadget of the find they 'demonstrate' in department stores and show the people how to use a trouser press, steam iron etc - the clothese they usecould have no war written on or not... maybe could demonstrate new cucumber sandwich technology..
dunnno though, maybe a stupid idea
love to those who care

wondering

Support for Creative Commons

31.08.2005 10:04

The creative commons sounds a very positive thing to be happening in a public space outside OUR ? Houses of Parliament. It is very sad and crazy that Mark was arrested, Definitely political. I hope it only serves to show how ludicrous the law and police action is.

How is demonstration or protest defined? Does Law prohibit Political discourse in the area? Does it prohibit assembly? Picnic? Does it prohibit the creation of art works? Does it prohibit distributing newspapers, pamphlets...?

Creative Commons is a fantastic thing. Just wish we were closer to London some times, hope the support swells.

Rich

RichE
Homepage: http://whatushoutinbout.blogspot.com/

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