a little more info and background on this would be welcome

Having organised May Day events since 1996 the 1 in 12 Club had followed exactly the same arrangements as previous years. However on Friday (yesterday) we received a letter from the police stating that for the march to go ahead we first had to apply to the Council for Road closures. Without that the police would refuse to 'police' the event and therefore the march could not go ahead.

We have never applied for 'road closure' we have never been told we had to before, and in the past the police have simply controlled the traffic light system at each junction to stop traffic as we pass. The Council have told us that as far as they are concerned this can still be the case, it is down to the police.

We are therefore determined to assert our right to celebrate our day as normal. We will attempt to march along the road, if we are stopped we will continue along the pavement. If we are prevented from this then....

The Council have also informed us that when we reach Centenary Square we do not have permission to make any musical noise, i,e, drums whistles etc.

So Please join us with your drums and whistles and help us physically reclaim May Day.

12.15 pm Infirmary Fields (adj Beehive Pub) Westgate.
12.30 depart to march through city centre to Centenary Square.

Hope thats a bit clearer.

God I'm not very good at this communication business. The issue around road closure is that we had to have applied for this 28 days in advance, and obviously not being aware of this new requirement hadn't. This is why the council's commenmts are important. As far as there concerned the police can control traffic in the way they have done in previous years. The police obviously have decided otherwise and won't budge.

So it seems the police have once again moved into the political censorship area.
Not too long ago, we saw newsfilm of the political arm of the British Police beating and kicking the living daylights out of demonstrating coal miners.
Anyone turning up for the march,..remember,...you are also there to protest against state control of your mind and rights. (Even if you decide to help the police by beating yourself up). Good Luck. See you there.

Despite the efforts of the 1 in 12 Club, Bradford Trades Council, one local MP, our march is still effectively banned. We have spent the last week being given the run around,

1. Police say we need a Road Closure notice. Council say we don't
2. Police say we need to book Square where march ends even though no enents are planned in it.
3. Square is applied for, Police say we still won't police it. Police and Council say you need an entertainments license if you are going to bang drums and blow whistles.
4. Monday. Terry Rooney MP rings. Says its OK to use Square.
5. Monday afternoon. Council ring saying Square is not agreed yet. Asst Chief Exec of Council to meet with police tomorrow (Tuesday). Oh and by the way you don't need an entertainments license after all.

So as it stands, we've got a Square we don't need, permission to bang drums and blow whistles we don't need, but are still told we can't march.

We are of course going ahead. Bring your drums, whistles, humour, and patience. See you there.

At 4.45pm last night the police backed down and agreed to let our traditional May Day March go ahead. Each objection they raised turned out to be completely bogus. Advice from the 1 in 12 Club's solicitor was that the matter of road closures was actually a provision in the law that the police had to apply for (if they saw fit) and not event organisers.

So we went ahead. Over a hundered turned up, less than we hoped as obviously many people thought it had been cancelled, but enough to make a colourful and noisy racket through the city centre. Great response from passers by as the level of conciousness about what May Day is all about increases every year.

Hope the other events around the country were equally as succesful.