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Does anyone have legal information about activism and stuff?

a person | 11.06.2002 00:27

This is a personal request for information but it if someone can answer it it should be useful for lots of us.

A group of us went flyposting the other night to advertise the J22 Street Party and we got stopped by the police.

The police weren't very nice to us. They said "Oi! What the fuck are you doing?!"

And they told us to act our age and get lives.

I don't think that's very good behaviour from the police. I think we should expect better from them.

But I'm not really so bothered about that. And we did meet a nicer cop later on who was friendly and stuff but still wanted to take our names and addresses.

What I'm more interested in is whether they genuinely had the right to take down my name and address and to confiscate my flyposters.

More generally, does anyone know what kind of shit you can get into for flyposting?

And for adbusting?

And spray-painting political slogans on walls and stuff?

Any info appreciated. Please share what you know in the "add your comments" section.

cheers :-)

a person

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Re: legal info

11.06.2002 02:38

The *only* times you ever have to give your name to a UK copper are: if they *charge* you with an offence, or if you yourself are driving a vehicle. Never at any other point. Never.
They can of course act differently with you when you refuse to cooperate. Different people feel comfortable with different tactics, either: refusing to give your details because that's your right, or giving them false details and being done with it.

They have no legal right (I think) to confiscate anything unless they are charging you. For flyposting if they can be bothered with the paperwork, they could charge you with criminal damage, but they're more likely to just threaten it and deal with it by intimidating you to give details/posters etc.

Adbusting (subvertising I guess you mean?) same - crim dam.
Spray painting ditto.

It's always a good idea if you can to get hold of legal info before any action or risk taking - info is strength and all that.
Browse the internet for legal guides - there's various still around from when EF!ers etc used to bother doing legal trainings! :-)
Contact the Activists Legal Project for advice - activistslegalATgnDOTapcDOTorg (not formatted like that; just to defeat spam robots), or 01865-243772

old walnut

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

11.06.2002 10:41

If you are stopped, you do not have to give details, you have the right to request legal assistance and state clearly if this is because you feel intimidated or scared by someone behaving badly ie offensively, abusely or physically.

In terms of flyposting because of the general treatment of anyone with an opinion - flyposting may be treated harshly by some met officers. So try not to get caught is perhaps the best answer - ignorance is no defence etc

You must never give your details arbitrariy as there are now many question marks how this information is used. As you will have to give them anyway, if the situation is serious do it in the presence of someone who can help and advise you.

Bindman's Solicitors would deal with anything like this and get someone to you pretty fast

Millennium Leia