Sunday, 2 April: Criminalised Peaceful Protest in Parliament Square, London
To mark the 2nd anniversary of the April 2004 US attack on, and subsequent siege of, the Iraqi city of Fallujah, a mass unauthorised civil disobedience action in protest of the continuing US/UK occupation of Iraq is planned for Sunday, 2 April in Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament in London.
The peaceful protest, called Naming the Dead, will include reading aloud the names of 1,000 Iraqis killed as a result of the US/UK invasion and occupation. According to IraqBodyCount.org, between 572 and 616 civilians—including over 300 women and children—were killed during the siege of Fallujah alone.
As this unauthorised demonstration will be within one kilometre of Parliament, the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act of 2005 will apply. The Act deems that demonstration participants will be committing a criminal offence. Specifically, Section 132 of the Act, entitled "Demonstrating without authorisation in designated area", states that: "Any person who – (a) organises a demonstration in a public place in the designated area, or (b) takes part in a demonstration in a public place in the designated area, or (c) carries on a demonstration by himself in a public place in the designated area, is guilty of an offence if, when the demonstration starts, authorisation for the demonstration has not been given under section 134(2)."
No such authorisation is being sought, as the protesters reject the legality of Section 132 of the Act, particularly as it is in contradiction to Articles 10 and 11 of the (UK) Human Rights Act 1998 which specify rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association. Although the exercise of these rights "may be subject to formalities, conditions, restrictions [and] penalties" none which are listed in the Articles seem applicable to the act of peacefully demonstrating within the above designated area.
Thus, participating in Sunday’s protest is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. Organisers could face up to 51 weeks in prison in addition to a maximum fine of £2,500. More poignant for both organisers and participants, however, is the likely prospect of carrying throughout the remainder of one’s life a record of criminal conviction under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act.
Click here for more infomation on the protest from Voices in the Wilderness UK.
The peaceful protest, called Naming the Dead, will include reading aloud the names of 1,000 Iraqis killed as a result of the US/UK invasion and occupation. According to IraqBodyCount.org, between 572 and 616 civilians—including over 300 women and children—were killed during the siege of Fallujah alone.
As this unauthorised demonstration will be within one kilometre of Parliament, the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act of 2005 will apply. The Act deems that demonstration participants will be committing a criminal offence. Specifically, Section 132 of the Act, entitled "Demonstrating without authorisation in designated area", states that: "Any person who – (a) organises a demonstration in a public place in the designated area, or (b) takes part in a demonstration in a public place in the designated area, or (c) carries on a demonstration by himself in a public place in the designated area, is guilty of an offence if, when the demonstration starts, authorisation for the demonstration has not been given under section 134(2)."
No such authorisation is being sought, as the protesters reject the legality of Section 132 of the Act, particularly as it is in contradiction to Articles 10 and 11 of the (UK) Human Rights Act 1998 which specify rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association. Although the exercise of these rights "may be subject to formalities, conditions, restrictions [and] penalties" none which are listed in the Articles seem applicable to the act of peacefully demonstrating within the above designated area.
Thus, participating in Sunday’s protest is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. Organisers could face up to 51 weeks in prison in addition to a maximum fine of £2,500. More poignant for both organisers and participants, however, is the likely prospect of carrying throughout the remainder of one’s life a record of criminal conviction under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act.
Click here for more infomation on the protest from Voices in the Wilderness UK.
posted by Sean M. Madden at
11:42 AM
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2 Comments:
Thanks for that. This is a time when we mustn't be silenced by the Gov't. Civil liberties are under attack from the very people who brought about this disastrous war.
Indeed. Thank you, Paul.
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