Disturbing news if true, from the Stop The War Coalition:
On Monday 8 October the Stop the War Coalition will be marching
from Trafalgar Square to Parliament calling for all troops in
Iraq to be brought home immediately.
After a series of relatively co-operative meetings, the police
now say they have been instructed not to allow the march to take
place and that all demonstrations are banned within a mile of
Parliament whilst in session.
This is a new development which threatens our democratic rights.
When Gordon Brown became prime minister he promised to liberalise
the laws on protest, saying that one of his principles would be,
"civil liberties safeguarded and enhanced". Government ministers,
including Gordon Brown, have lined up to support the right to
protest in Burma.
It is important that these same ministers also
defend the rights of people in this country to protest
peacefully.
We are determined to march to make our views known to parliament
on 8 October, when Gordon Brown will make his long awaited
statement on Iraq.
We urge everyone who opposes the war policies of our government to
join the call for all British troops to come home immediately and
to help defend our civil liberties now under attack.
We have produced a petition calling on the authorities to
review the decision to ban the march.
SIGN THE PETITION ONLINE aimed at defending our right to protest
peacefully. You can do this here: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE PETITION
Collect as many signatures as you can and send filled petition
sheets to Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, WC1X 9JP
Download for printing here: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
Please spread the word as widely as you can about the
demonstration on Monday 8 October.
I'd be interested to know under what legislation they can stop it - SOCPA I seem to recall was a kilometre, not a mile, so it's possible the cops are just making it up as they go along, like they do with anti-war protester numbers.
HatTip Blairwatchhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2554379.ece
Who needs laws when Government can make it up as it goes along.
Perhaps the very quiet of late Sir Ian Blair would like to make a public statement.
We would like to invite the World's Press to this event, so that they can draw the comparisons between Brown's Britain and the Burma he so strongly criticizes.
Free speech, free association and the freedom to protest are our right.
NuLab - Destroying Britain from the inside out.
