Give an inch, lose a mile
Thousands of demonstrators planning to march on Parliament to call for the withdrawal of troops from Afrghanistan and Iraq have been told that their protest has been banned.
The Metropolitan Police told organisers of the Stop the War Coalition that no march would now be allowed “within one mile of Parliament†while MPs were in session.
I thought we were doing away with this in Gordon’s shiny new Britain, Britain, Britain (repeat 81 times or until BNP voters are shoring up your marginal seats, whichever comes first)?
What next, closing the internet cafes around Parliament while the police administer a good hiding? Sorry, my mistake. Forgive the hyperbole. I keep forgetting this is a free country. Still, what do you expect when the servants forget their place?
One mile. I’ve been on some noisy marches before but I’m fairly sure none of them made enough noise to be heard a mile away. That must be it. Those marches, I’ll admit, probably did make enough noise to upset the delicate dispositions of our elected representatives. When they want to hear from us, they’ll tell us.
Poor things. Surely such sensitive souls aren’t cut out for the rough and tumble of political life? The stresses and strains of running a democracy (I use the that term loosely) are surely too much for such poor little butterflies.
Any MP who thinks this ban is a necessary measure should be gently led away and sat down somewhere quiet with a cup of milky tea and an almighty whack with a chemical cosh. It’s for their own good. That and the fact that they’re an eyesore behind which terrorists could pick us off.
Breaking News: Al Qaeda pack up and go home. ‘We’ve contracted out our assault on Western freedoms’, says Osama. Milo Minderbinder was unavailable for comment.
Posted on September 29th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
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Filed under Affronts to democracy |
The Stop the War Coalition have announced that they intend to go ahead with the demonstration anyway. From the Stop The War website:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=271&Itemid=1
Perhaps Gordon needs a march from thousands of clergy.
I thought that things were meant to be different in the “Age of Change.” I really must stop believing politicians.
and when did a Kilometre become a Mile. The SOCPA states 1 kilometre.
Are Government playing lets make it up as we go along….
and when did a Kilometre become a Mile
It’s probably all part of Gordon’s drive for Britishness, Britishness, Britishness. Since the Metric Martyrs got off he’s now free to reclaim imperial measures for the good of the nation.
If this is ever debated in Parliament (slim chance, I know), expect the minister responsible to open the debate with:
‘We don’t drink fackin’ demi-litres in Britain, do we? No, it’s a fackin’ pint in this country, thank you very much. Same with yer protests, innit? We don’t supress our protesters within a nancy French kilometre, do we? No we fackin’ don’t. They get nicked within yer good old, solid British mile, all right? Up yours, Delors. What you looking at, Gunga Din?’
would be really good if we could get the international press to draw comparisons between Burma and Brown’s Britain, showing him up for the hypocrite he is.
Just because our police are likely to be a little more covert (cameras etc) rather than a show of guns does not make this whole affair any less anti democratic, with a loss of rights and liberties.
The Stop the War Coalition has stated that the demonstration will go ahead regardless. So anyone else who still wishes to attend the demonstration, please see the website for details.
It is a disgrace that Blair,Brown and Bush claim(ed) to be fighting supposedly for “freedom and democracy”, while at the very same time making protesters stand in their fixed free speech zones, and diverting march routes so that their precious ears wouldn’t be offended by us, “the little people”. In this case, banning the protest.
From the Stop the War Website:
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.
“…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.
Let me get this straight:
1)Police have been INSTRUCTED (by which Brownite scrote specifically?) to disallow a peaceful demonstration, which is our democratic right in a self-proclaming freedom loving country.
2) This demo has been moved a mile away from the home of our democracy, so it cannot be seen/heard by anyone in Parliament. Who designated the new route, cops or politicians?
3)The route would be fine if Parliament was not in session, ie the intended audience - MPs - need to be physically somewhere else before voters can show their dissent.
Why not write to your MP and ask them to look into it?
http://www.writetothem.com
I would also like to know the answers to those questions bb.
I will certainly do my utmost personally to find the answers.
bb’s 3) brings to mind another figure from Catch 22: Major Major.
“Those marches… When they want to hear from us, they’ll tell us.” hahah that’s a good line, made me laugh out loud. Are the decisions by the Met at all appealable? (if appealable is a word)
George Galloway writing in the Record today rightly states:
Well, if it’s good enough for Rangoon, Gordon, it’s good enough for us. We will march next Monday whether you like it or not. Some of us will be wearing saffron robes and shaving our heads to make the point. I advise you, as you get into your stride in the election campaign, not to misuse our hard-pressed police officers in the way the Burmese junta are using theirs.