now illegal to protest?
now illegal to protest?
Author
Discussion

camper

Original Poster:

57 posts

254 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
Arrests before protest could start at EU Justice Ministers meeting in Newcastle
08.09.2005 11:16

A protest at the start of the Justice & Home Affairs ministers meeting in Newcastle was foiled before people even got to the protest. They obviously didn't want the ministers to see the 12 foot square ID card that was going to be at the front drive.

Before the EU Justice & Home Affairs ministers had even started meeting today in Newcastle upon Tyne protesters were arrested in cars on their way to start a peaceful protest.

The plan was for protesters to mount a peaceful picket at the Gosforth Marriott Hotel in orange boiler suits and bar-coded foreheads, with a 12 square foot ID card to highlight the increasing restrictions on civil liberties being considered by ministers under the pretext of fighting the "War on Terror".

However cars were followed and stopped. The protesters were searched and detained "to prevent violent disorder". They have been taken to a police station in North Newcastle and are likely to be detained for over 24 hours, when the summit is over.

Kinda ironic that our civil liberties are taken away before we can even protest about having our civil liberties taken away!:mad:

camper

wedg1e

27,038 posts

295 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
Yes, but it's no use complaining about it.

john75

5,303 posts

277 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
So what were the protesters stopped for then and were they charged.

Britian is a signature to EU Conventions of Human Rights suggest they contact a Human Rights Lawyer who maybe able to examine their case if a breach of the law has taken place ?

scared but happy

24,147 posts

259 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
Also helps now to call everyone terrorists as it then justifies any action required, watch the number of arrest soar when the fuel protests start. Did you sneeze without a permit?

camper

Original Poster:

57 posts

254 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
wedg1e said:
Yes, but it's no use complaining about it.


but Revolution might help!

camper

hustlebabe

790 posts

256 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
What op north in chilly Newcastle...?

camper

Original Poster:

57 posts

254 months

Sunday 11th September 2005
quotequote all
john75 said:


Britian is a signature to EU Conventions of Human Rights suggest they contact a Human Rights Lawyer who maybe able to examine their case if a breach of the law has taken place ?


dont forget though the EU was the idea of a one Adolf Hitler and the Nazis!, ironic really?

camper

ps you vill do as you are told or else!

silversun

4,373 posts

256 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
AFAIK, the Criminal Justice Bill went a long way towards making it illegal to protest and that was brought in by the Tories.

Eric Mc

125,680 posts

295 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Protests have always walked a fine line between legallity and illegality. The old "Riot Act" (as in "reading the riot act" was often used to make crowds disperse. On occasions, police or troops opened fire on protesting crowds.

I well remember seeing police wade into anti-Vietnam and anti-apartheid protesters in the UK in the 60s and 70s.

scared but happy

24,147 posts

259 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Protests have always walked a fine line between legallity and illegality. The old "Riot Act" (as in "reading the riot act" was often used to make crowds disperse. On occasions, police or troops opened fire on protesting crowds.

I well remember seeing police wade into anti-Vietnam and anti-apartheid protesters in the UK in the 60s and 70s.


Yes and I read somewhere it only requires 3 people to constitute a riot.

Ok try this to a bunch of rioters (THE riot act 1715)

"Our Sovereign Lord the King chargeth and commandeth all persons being assembled immediately to disperse themselves, and peaceably to depart to their habitations or to their lawful business, upon the pains contained in the act made in the first year of King George for preventing tumultuous and riotous assemblies. God save the King."
Obviouly worded a while back.

Removed in 1970's I think.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Is there a link to the story? I would like to ask my MP's opinion on this

hugoagogo

23,437 posts

263 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
the criminal justice act

remember all the hippies and 'lentilists' protesting that one? did you support them at the time?

Witchfinder

6,388 posts

282 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
I'm all for the right to protest, but I suspect the whole story isn't being heard here. I'm willing to bet that the people arrested are known troublemakers rather than legitimate, peaceful protestors.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Witchfinder said:
I'm all for the right to protest, but I suspect the whole story isn't being heard here. I'm willing to bet that the people arrested are known troublemakers rather than legitimate, peaceful protestors.

Like the peaceful anti-war protester who was baned from protesting outside parliament?

timmy30

9,325 posts

257 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Witchfinder said:
I'm all for the right to protest, but I suspect the whole story isn't being heard here. I'm willing to bet that the people arrested are known troublemakers rather than legitimate, peaceful protestors.


Quite right Musolini/ Hitler/ Stalin they knew how to deal with touble makers like these. People should learn to accept that the state knows what's best for them and keep their heads down.

bosshog

1,799 posts

306 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
>Criminal Justice Bill

Yeap - I think it was brought in around 1993/1994 - remember it from my raving days.

Basically the bill has a lot of stuff in , but in regard to this I beleive you can't have a gathering of more that 12 people - if so the police have the right to dispperse the "crowd" or if not arrest you.

Witchfinder

6,388 posts

282 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Come on, these people are probably the same ones who were smashing up peoples' cars and businesses during the G8 summit. I value my right to protest, but it should always be done peacefully.

scared but happy

24,147 posts

259 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
Witchfinder said:
Come on, these people are probably the same ones who were smashing up peoples' cars and businesses during the G8 summit. I value my right to protest, but it should always be done peacefully.

And ban the bomb, save the whale, poll tax, minors strike.
Protests are a waste of time I think. Look at the anti war protest! Anyhow as pointed out all the do is damage the people you are trying to bring round to your side. All it does is give the govenment bad PR but since its going to be a few more years before an election why bother they won't do sod all about it anyway except blame everyone else and the media will all nod in agreement.

silversun

4,373 posts

256 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
hugoagogo said:
the criminal justice act

remember all the hippies and 'lentilists' protesting that one? did you support them at the time?


Yes, I demonstrated against it. And I'm neither a hippy or a lentilist.

jasandjules

72,606 posts

259 months

Monday 12th September 2005
quotequote all
We do have a right to gather etc.. under ECHR...There is a derogation though for national security, but it must be proportionate... Arresting people before they even begin to protest sounds a little heavy handed, would like to see Plod prosecuted for unlawful detention there.....

Edited to Add. A few of us said these laws would be badly used, and what scares me is when the right of political demonstration will curtailed in this manner..........How long will it be before that happens?

>> Edited by jasandjules on Monday 12th September 10:43