According to the BBC
Tuesday, 31 January 2006,Religious hate bill goes to vote
Thousands of demonstrators are expected outside Parliament as MPs vote on plans to ban incitement to religious hatred.
Ministers want religious groups to have the same protection from hate crimes as racial groups.
The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill has undergone substantial changes in the Lords but the government hopes to push through a compromise amendment.
Critics claim the bill is drawn too widely and could stop free speech and unfairly target artists.
[...]
At a press conference on Monday, comedian Rowan Atkinson, who has been a prominent critic of the bill, said: "No one deserves a right to freedom from criticism."
Government attempts to include an offence of being "reckless" about stirring up hatred could affect performers, he added.
[...]
Labour backbencher Bob Marshall-Andrews said the legislation was "going to have a chilling effect on not just religion but on the whole spectrum of freedom of speech".
[...]
Liberal Democrat human rights spokesman Evan Harris said Tuesday's vote on the bill would be parliament's last chance to protect free speech.
'Freedom to ridicule'
"These freedoms to speak and to argue, to criticise and indeed to ridicule, once lost, are very rarely got back.
Shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve said his party would do "everything it can to work with others in parliament to remove the worst parts of the governments' proposals".
Under the proposed law the offence of inciting racial hatred would carry a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
Has prior written permission been applied for ? The event does not seem to be listed on the Metropolitan Police public order pages of road closures etc.
What conditions have been imposed ?
Is this one single demonstration ?
How are the Police meant to be able to tell if there are in fact several separate demonstrations or not ?
Remember that even inside the Palace of Westeminster, where people go to lobby their Members of Parliament, the public areas inside, are a "public place". according to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 200 section 132
(b) "public place" means any highway or any place to which at the material time the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission,
Will people be arrested for simply lobbying their MPs in the traditional manner, wearing "political" clothing, or carrying campaign literature or banners ?