More Beautiful Acts of Defiance - Sunday 14th August, noon, Parliament Square

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"MORE BEAUTIFUL ACTS OF DEFIANCE!
London Calling For the Right to Protest, 12 Noon, 14 August, Parliament Square
Urgent Call to Action!
"As you may be aware, the new Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 continues to make all protests without permission within 1km of the Houses of Parliament illegal. The present British government is an enemy of democracy as well as a potential war criminal and must be challenged.

Darlings! Thanks to the success of last Sunday the 7th’s Mass Acts Protest (see video footage and reports at www.parliamentprotest.org.uk) Alice and the Cat have decided to hold Another Beautiful Fancy Dress Cosmic Mad Hatter Tea Party on the Green at the Square each and every Sunday of the month. You are therefore cordially invited to join us at our "Make Tea Not War and Terror" Protest, show your dismay at the Government’s unstinting support of the USA, enjoy some refreshments and give thanks to Brian Haw for keeping the light of protest – and hope - alive. A light hearted Tea Party in support of the right to associate freely - absurdly curtailed by our scarily incompetent New Labour government who seem to like War, Blood, Terror, Capitalism and George W Bush far more than they like animals, children, "we the people" or the planetary environment.

Please come as you are, or alternatively dress up as a revolutionary! Suffragette costumes especially welcome. Or if you please just wear a silly hat or a mask! Revolutionary tea will be provided, but if you are able to come please bring a contribution: fruit, flowers, biscuits, cucumber sandwiches, cakes, chocolates, pimms and lemonade, poems, songs, musical instruments and anything else you can think of! Clowns, children and peaceful anarcho-syndicalist commune artistic types especially welcome! We like absurdity.

Come along and please ask your friends too – in order to show your grievances, dance a little jig and yes! – as we did last week we will emulate the American Revolutionaries by throwing some more tea in the River Thames in support of the proposed "Tobin Tax" on International Currency Speculation as a means to help Make Poverty History. For more information and/or to support this idea see Early Day Motion EDM 500 at www.edmi.parliament.uk, www.tobintax.org.uk, www.globalnation.org.uk

No More Corporate Representation without International Taxation!

And perhaps this week we will take our Tea Party onto 10 Downing Street and/or Buckingham Palace for some more fun and games.

PLEASE JOIN US ON 14 AUGUST: If you are happy to risk arrest, please bring your banners, leaflets, placards and campaigns for peace, human rights, asylum rights, labour rights, animal rights, social justice, international solidarity, the environment etc. Yes, there is a risk of arrest at this meeting but the police do not appear willing to arrest more than a token number. Therefore we advise those who do not want to get arrested but nevertheless wish to show support to come along but not to get involved in any overtly "protesting" acts – such as carrying banners or shouting slogans.

This brought to you by The SPARC ATTAC Campaign www.globalnation.org.uk in connection with www.whatushoutinbout.blogspot.com"

5 Comments

Hello, i just want to send a message of support for this action and urge anyone who can to turn up to COME. This is an extremely important issue and the more people we can get down the better, it doesn't matter what your political beliefs are as long as you agree that are rights are being removed and this is simply NOT RIGHT.
Cheers
Matthew

Hello- me again. Just to say i thought todays tea party was very succesful despite the lowish turnout and to urge everyone to try and spread the word and encourage many more people to come down next sunday. i have posted the event on indymedia, any other ideas please tell me.
matthew1butcher@hotmail.com

Nice one. Good to hear it is to be a weekly event. I hope to get down soon, maybe representing the Agnostic Community.

Cheers

yes, please come to our picnic every Sunday 12 Noon behind Brian's spot in the Square. we are now devising ways in which everyone can feel welcome and relatively safe in the knowledge of the risk of arrest and how to minimise it. we aim for an alternative commons space where all voices can be heard and where democracy, and fun, can flourish. please come along and bring whatever games (anyone for cricket?) and other ideas4pleasant activities u feel moved to. ps my old email has been shut down so if u have any questions etc feel free 2contact me thru Email Spark option on globalnation website. hope to see more there next week - we can build this slowly and peacefully - and thanks for the posts Matthew. Hasta

People's Commons Minutes; 2:20pm Sunday 21 August

A meeting was held in Parliament Square about the future of the event.

Summary; the following points were agreed:
Universal positive messages on banners etc.
Creativity and irony with placards etc.
The banner making workshop.
Food Not Bombs involvement.
Further discussion next week on commonalities.
Raising profile of event - bring a new freind eack week.
Publicity.

There was a discussion about non-hierarchical decision making and consensus structures. Hand signals were suggested: raise hand if you want to speak, thumbs down to disagree, shake hands to agree.

A rotating facilitator was suggested.

It was felt that we were spending too much time on structure, and that the process should be more structureless; that simple courtesy dictates that people should not speak over others, it's about listening.

Later on it was suggested that farmyard animal noises replace hands up to indicate the desire to speak, as the latter seemed too much like school.

It was felt that we need to maximise the numbers of people coming to the event.

The idea of the line between a protest zone and a picnic zone was
discussed, and there were no objections to the line at this stage of the meeting. The line was seen as helpful in that it clearly demarcated the space so that those who do not wish to risk arrest need not do so.

Police tactics has been inconsistent though and they have threatened to arrest non-protesting picnicers in the past. So while we cannot guarantee participants won't be arrested, we should make it a feature of the publicity that people do have the choice to be part of something - the picnic - with a low risk of arrest.They can still participate in the event, and do not need to be intimidated by arrests which have so far occured.

One person felt that there should be no banners/placards, no protest; he did not agree with violence or breaking the law/rules.

It was pointed out that no one's talking violence and that when the government oversteps a line by making protest illegal, the law is not worth obeying. It was felt that it should be more than a picnic because a picnic alone, while fun, will not achieve the aim of overturning/repealing the Act.

There was general assent to the people's alternative commons concept. This could be made less insular with a large banner stating 'join the peace picnic/people's common'. There could also be workshops: on the history of free speech, democratic rights etc.

It was agreed that next picnic will include a banner making workshop! Everone is to bring what materials they can for this: pens, paints, sheets, etc.

We could be more creative and ironic with any placards/banners we do bring or make; info-boards stating that 'This is not a protest, protest is illegal here' for example. It was suggested that banners and placards should be positive statements that no one could disagree with: eg. PEACE and LOVE, Heal the World, so that protest is not marginalised and that any arresting officer would be made to look stupid arresting someone with such a positive message.

One person suggested we need a police liason and volunteered. It needn't be the same person every week.

At this stage some concern about the clear line between picnic and protest was expressed. She felt that protestors would then fear crossing the line for a cup of tea as that would put non-protesting picnicers at risk. As indicated above in earlier discussion, the police may simply lump all present in together as protestors.

The police don't really want to arrest people a lot for protesting; the arrests which have already occured are already clogging up the courts, so more protests would be good.

With the picnic we could contact London FoodNotBombs and get them involved. Also we would all bring food next time.

Publicity: we need to publicise the event more. Flyers have been prepared, people agreed to do posters. The event should be publicised on the mailing lists and perodical listings of big organisations, like CND and Stop the War Coalition. The info should go out anywhere and everywhere, to maximise the number of people who are aware of the event and raise it's profile.

One person argued that if the event does have a more radical edge, ie. defying the Act rather than just having a picnic, that will bring the press back in and bring more publicity.

It was suggested that people bring a friend to build numbers, one new person eack week, and that if you can't make it you should arrange substitutes to take your place that week.

We had a discussion of what we felt we have in common: it was agreed a basic desire for the right and freedom to protest was a simple and basic thing we could agree on.

One person felt that that statement was all we need as a basis for common association. Supporting Brian Haw in his protest was also something many felt they had in common. It was agreed that we would reflect on what we all feel about the event and bring that to next week, and future discussions on common points of agreement.

One person mentioned that the focus should reamin on making the Act unworkabable, and that we should think about procedures for dealing with police repression and non-violently preventing arrests.

Parliament Protest Web Button

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Recent Comments

  • SPARK: People's Commons Minutes; 2:20pm Sunday 21 August A meeting was read more
  • spark: yes, please come to our picnic every Sunday 12 Noon read more
  • Sir J: Nice one. Good to hear it is to be a read more
  • Matthew Butcher: Hello- me again. Just to say i thought todays tea read more
  • Matthew Butcher: Hello, i just want to send a message of support read more

Hints and Tips for Whistleblowers and Protest Organisers

The hints and tips below are just as important to anybody organising a peaceful Protest near to Parliament Square, as they are to other people who might come under UK Government or Multinational Corpotation:

Please take the appropriate precautions if you are planning to blow the whistle on shadowy and powerful people in Government or commerce, and their dubious policies. The mainstream media and bloggers also need to take simple precautions to help preserve the anonymity of their sources e.g. see Spy Blog's Hints and Tips for Whistleblowers - or use this easier to remember link: http://ht4w.co.uk

BlogSafer - wiki with multilingual guides to anonymous blogging

Digital Security & Privacy for Human Rights Defenders manual, by Irish NGO Frontline Defenders.

Everyone’s Guide to By-Passing Internet Censorship for Citizens Worldwide (.pdf - 31 pages), by the Citizenlab at the University of Toronto.

Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents - March 2008 version - (2.2 Mb - 80 pages .pdf) by Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Guide to Covering the Beijing Olympics by Human Rights Watch.

A Practical Security Handbook for Activists and Campaigns (v 2.6) (.doc - 62 pages), by experienced UK direct action political activists

Anonymous Blogging with Wordpress & Tor - useful step by step guide with software configuration screenshots by Ethan Zuckerman at Global Voices Advocacy. (updated March 10th 2009 with the latest Tor / Vidalia bundle details)

Convention on Modern Liberty - 28th Feb 2009

Convention on Modern Liberty - 28th Feb 2009
Convention on Modern Liberty - 28th Feb 2009

The Convention is being held in the Logan Hall and adjoining rooms at the Institute of Education in Bloomsbury, central London.

Address:

The Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AL

There are video linked screenings or other parallel meetings being held across the UK in Belfast. Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff and Manchester.

Convention on Modern Liberty blog

Campaign Button Links

NO2ID  Campaign
NO2ID - opposition to the Home Office's Compulsory Biometric ID Card and National Identity Register centralised database.

UK Public CCTV Surveillance Regulation Campaign
UK Public CCTV Surveillance Regulation Campaign

link to www.peopleincommon.org

People in Common - weekly Picnics etc. in Parliament Square, every Sunday at about 1pm.

Save Parliament: Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill (and other issues)
Save Parliament - Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill (and other issues)

cfoi_150.jpg
Campaign for the Freedom of Information

Please help us to find this man! He was arrested(?) in Parliament Square on 1st August 2005

This man was one of the very first people arrested in Parliament Square on 1st August 2005, but he has apparently disappeared.

link to SilentProtest.org.uk
Silent Protest - a web photo gallery "encouraging people to stage a virtual, government un-sanctioned protest. All you need to do is get a picture of yourself, or your friends, within the protest free zone. Assume the pose (hand over mouth), aim and click."

repeal-SOCPA-info_150.gif
. repeal-SOCPA.info - useful background briefings for the Managing Protest around Parliament public consultation, and model letters to MPs etc.

About this blog

This web blog has been set up as an information resource and discussion area (please be polite in the comments) to help organise resistance to the restrictions on peaceful democratic demonstrations and protests, which have been enacted by law, in a wide Designated Area around Parliament Square in London.

It appears that in order to remove the peace protestor Brian Haw, who had been demonstrating continuously in Parliament Square, day and night, for over 10 years,(literally until his death in June 2011), the NuLabour Government overreacted, and granted themselves draconian and arbitrary powers, which affected the rights of all individual British citizens to lobby their Members of Parliament, or to walk in a vast Designated Area wearing a "political slogan" T-shirt, badge, rubber wristband etc. without first seeking prior written permission from the Police.

This is an affront to democracy and is not justified even on any spurious "climate of fear" alleged "security" grounds.

N.B. SOCPA ss128-132 is now repealed and replaced with less restictive laws, but there are still some peculiar restrictions and bylaws on protests around Parliament Square.

Email Contact

Please feel free to email us your news, views or suggestions about this blog, and about the issues it highlights.

info @ParliamentProtest [dot] org [dot].uk

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Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 was rushed through, "on the nod", with minimal debate, during the undemocratic "wash up" process at the end of the last Parliament when the General Election had been called.

The bulk of the Act deals with the setting up of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, but there are also sections such as:

Section 110 Powers of Arrest

From 1st January 2006 this section makes any offence, no matter how minor, into an arrestable offence. Arrests by the police these days can mean taking 10 fingerprints and two palm prints, a DNA tissue sample and processing it into a digital "DNA fingerprint", forcing you to remove any facial coverings, (even those worn for religous purposes) to take photographs of your face etc. All of these items of personal data can then be retained forever, even if you are not charged, or any charges against you are dropped, or if you go to court and are found not guilty.

These new powers are regulated by the new statutory Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Code of Practice G (.pdf)

Section 128 Trespass on a Designated Site - e.g. Crown Property or National Security

Sections 132 to 138 Demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament - the controversial restrictions in detail.

The Public Whip website has details of how the Members of the House of Commons voted on these controversial clauses.

Brian Haw

Veteran peace protestor Brian Haw was physically camped out in Parliament Square since 2nd June 2001 until his death in June 2011

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 sections 132 to 138 Designatd Area law seem to have been written to try to specifically suppress his protests, although, through sheer incompetence, the Government found that Brian Haw himself was initially exempt from some of it, since his protest started before the stupidly worded repressive legislation came into force, although a later High Court Appeal, at public exepnse, did apply the law to him.

See Parliament Square website for news and support details.

Write to politicians

Write To Them - identify and contact your local councillors, Members of Parliament, devolved Assembly members and Members of the European Parliament

You can also write to the Home Secretary David Blunkett Charles Clarke John Reid Jacqui Smith Alan Johnson Theresa May

You can send an email public.enquiries@ homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or a letter to:

Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP
Home Secretary
c/o Direct Communications Unit
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF

Home Office Contact Us page

Designated Area

The current Designated Area is set out in:

Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1537 The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Area) Order 2005

Read more about the Designated Area in our category archive.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 section 132 to 138 have been repealed by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 Part 3 on the Statute Book, but not yet Commenced by Order). This replaces the Designated Area with a much smaller Controlled Area - just Parliament Square Gardens and the surrounding pavements.

Mass Lone Demonstrations

Comedian Mark Thomas's website has details of Mass Lone Demonstrations which legally show up the absurdity of this law, and the bureaucracy involved in enforcing it. These multiple independent one person demonstrations take place on the third Wednesday of the month, from 5pm - 7.30pm within the Designated Area (often in Parliament Square, but not exclusively so)

Meet on the second Wednesday of each month outside Charing Cross police station (located at Agar Street, London, WC2N 4JP - see the map) any time between: 5.30 pm -7.30pm to hand in your Metropolitan Police SOCPA forms (download the optional Word or PDF forms from the Metroplitan Police) or your own personal Written Applications for Prior Permission.

Regular Protests in Parliament Square

Parliament Square - supporting the long running, 24/7, peace protest by Brian Haw in Parliament Square

Global Women's Strike who held "open mike" loudspeaker protests every Wednesday for over two and a half years, which are now banned.

London Critical Mass - group bicycle ride on the last Friday of every month, for the last 10 years, which often strays into the Designated Area.

The People's Commons Meeting / Tea Party / Picnic-Protest is now meeting every Sunday afternoon starting at 1 for 1.30pm on the Green in Parliament Square. wiki - new website PeopleInCommon.org

Website Links

Home Office - "Not fit for purpose. It is inadequate in terms of its scope, it is inadequate in terms of its information technology, leadership, management, systems and processes" - Home Secretary John Reid. 23rd May 2006.

Metropolitan Police Service

Metropolitan Police Authority - meant democratically to supervise the Metropolitan Police Service

Independent Police Complaints Commission

United Kingdom Parliament - Palace of Westminster, House of Lords, House of Commons etc.

Booking Parliament Square - Greater London Authority booking forms, terms and conditions for filming and photography for Parliament Square - "The GLA does not grant permission for demonstration, rallies and public meetings on Parliament Square Gardens".

They Work For You - a more user friendly version of the House of Commons Hansard

Pledgebank pledge:

"I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people will join in."

Repeal-SOCPA-Info has useful briefing material for the Public Consultation into the laws restricting demonstrations, marches and assemblies, sample letters to MPs etc..

Blog Links

Spy Blog - Privacy and Security and Civil liberties campaigning

Mayor of London Blog - unnofficial comments on the Mayor of London and Greater London Assembly

Fuel Crisis Blog - Petrol at £1 per litre ! Protest !

Bloggerheads graphics of the 1km zone and the actual Designated Area

Charity Sweet - who has been harrassed for reading a copy of the Independent newspaper outside Downing Street etc.

BBC Travel Jam Cams

BBC Radio London has some links to Traffic Monitoring CCTV cameras, which they publish every 5 or 10 minutes, not usually in real time.

Whenever there is an "incident" or a march or demonstration, these online images are deliverately censored i.e. "not available for operational reasons", This is despite the images being of too low a resolution to identify anybody, and, the effect of not diverting traffic away from the incident, which should be the whole point of the online Traffic Cam images in the first place.

Whitehall / Parliament Square - this camera view sometimes shows Brian Haw's peace camp, and the "temporary" GLA fence around Parliament Square Gardens (removed >then rebuilt)

Northumberland Avenue / Victoria Embankment

Trafalgar Square (on the edge of the Designated Area)