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SOCPA consultation re-opened

Roger Heathcote | 28.10.2007 19:04 | SOCPA | Repression | Social Struggles | London

OK, so this isn't necessarily the good news it may seem at first :-/

The gushing intro from home secretary Jacqui Smith(*1) on 'the importance on protest to democracy' might reassure many readers they need read no further, sadly this is not the case...



Here's a brief summary of what they say

1) We want to tighten powers on peaceful assembly NATIONWIDE!
2) Protesters are all thugs / scum who hate democracy
3) Damn, we forgot to ban marches first time round!
4) MPs need to get to work and hippies might get in the way
5) We are scared of the 'terrorists' too
6) We 'need to ensure that ALL groups have the proper opportunity to protest at the seat of the elected UK parliament', however...
7) Parliament square is for tourists - not plebs like you!
8) We have grounds to treat the 1km around it seperately from the rest of the country
9) Having to apply for prior permission to protest isn't prohibited by the ECHR
10) We might make an exemption for 'small' demonstrations, but then again there might be several simultaneous demos so they will have to be VERY small.
11) We might just make the law the same for everywhere, because... (see 1)
12) IF (and only if) you support the exclusion zone (and other parliament centric restrictions) please write and tell us where you would like to see protest restricted next

You can mail them at  ProtestaroundParliament@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Consultation is open for the next 10 weeks

You can download a PDF of the paper here:

 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-2007-managing-protest

The link on their page will download the PDF without the correct file extension (and therefore need to be renamed after downloading, appending the missing '.pdf'

If you don't know how to do that you can download it from my website instead at the following address:  http://www.technicalbloke.com/cons-2007-managing-protest.pdf
PDF is Crown Copyright - Used by kind permission of Liz Windsor, 1, The Palace, London.

Also, I have created a map showing the current exclusion zone and the 1Km boundary here:  http://www.technicalbloke.com/socpa-exclusion-zone.jpg (sorry google maps, you'll have to sue me!)

PS: Anyone else notice they refer to it throughout as SOCAP?

[1] Jacqui Smith's frankly appaling voting record can be found here:  http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/jacqui_smith/redditch

Roger Heathcote
- e-mail: indymedia@technicalbloke.com
- Homepage: http://www.technicalbloke.com

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Jacqui Smith is THE SLAG of Britain

01.11.2007 11:01

2.13 "What constitutes a static demonstration is ultimately for the courts to decide???

Jacqui darling, Serious Organised Crime and Police Act is abbreviated to SOCPA, not SOCAP - you ignorant whore.

A static demonstration must be defined within the Act itself, you absolute muppet, for when it is left to the arbitrary discretion, or lack thereof, of certain Met officers... what ensues is nothing less than a police state where any officer may assume any action or lack thereof can be perceived as a demonstration despite any known dictionary definition or legal basis for such an assumption.

The Parliamentarians must be able to come and go in peace from the Houses of Parliament despite the fact that Parliament is acting far worse than the Nazi regime of Hitler? Have you lost your mind woman? You are taking away the rights of the people to protect the people... from who? From whores like you who would bastardise this great nation of England I have come to love so dear?

Demonstrations must be authorised and authorisation must be given to anyone applying 'in the proper way'. What a load of twaddle. How many people have been denied? You'll never tell and my 8 year old daughter and myself were both denied after filling out your stupid form at Charing Cross Police Station. Apparently, being an artist, I was not able to conform enough to their specifications - Children for Peace and Artists for peace were both denied although I have yet to hear anything back from CX PC Roger S. Smith, in writing as I was promised from CX PC Gary Smith. Bollocks springs to mind.

I am not a security risk unless the you consider the FACT that protecting a bunch of paedophiles in government and within the judiciary simply from the truth being told is a personal threat to your position and access to big brown envelopes, which is what I assume you are receiving for your part in Nazi Britain.

Apparently you are concerned with MP's being able to have unencumbered passageway to and from Parliament.

3,4 What values does the UK government stand for? I have watched this great nation being run into the ground since I first arrived in 1991. I have three children, aged 20, 15 and 8 and can speak from experience regarding the dismantling of what was an excellent education system - Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto springs to mind, written by a former New York teacher of the year with 25 years experience explains this premise quite appropriately.

Socialised medicine is currently being reduced to the two tier system of the United States as I understand from my experience of living in San Diego California. I have also watched Blue Cross storm into my native homeland of Canada, with the governments blessing, removing social healthcare from the people, despite they are still paying for healthcare that simply no longer is accessible to the poor.

Yes Jacqui, Parliament Square is a World Heritage sight and I find it amusing when you use the word 'compliance' in regard to existing bye-laws while English human rights are flushed down the bog of Parliament. It's so clear to read into what you are hiding between the lines: Police State Britain.

I simply cannot read any further into this filth you have scribed - the Governance of Britain - Managing Protest around Parliament as it sickens me.

Jacqui, Jesus loves you and I think you are a whore. What more can I say? You have prostituted yourself to a fascist government. May you rot in hell for your part in the slaying of English democracy - you don't fool me not one bit.


Regards,

Mrs. C. Sweet





Mrs. Charity Sweet
mail e-mail: charity.sweet@yahoo.com


is it just me

08.11.2007 01:34

or is Charity Sweet sounding more and more like a plant put here to make the rest of us look stupid?

Incoherent rants are one thing but words like whore, slag and fascist are just not helpful.

Your article was extremely helpful though Roger, thank you.

likeahole inthehead


Jacqui Smith says...

17.11.2007 18:49

"We need to review sections 132-138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 soberly."

Ye Gods, they were all pissed when they wrote it?

Oscar Beard


i speak from experience

07.12.2007 11:13

interesting comment oscar... probably why they write such crap law that some folks are challenging in the courts and seeing the Maggots down Westminster bending the law like Beckham...

Personally, I no longer recognise the authority of that courthouse as it is a raving lunatic asylum on meltdown. NO wonder they are closing it down... so they can disappear the evidence of their dirty dirty deeds for big brown envelopes - I am sure certain files will be lost in the move

... whores and rent boys spring to mind... with democracy and justice for sale... political trials Jacqui wants to spread across the nation.

Any wonder I call the woman a whore when she is selling out the entire nation and our future generations. Kind of like how Gordo sold out the pensioners cuz he doesn't do war, he just funds it; while the old folks starve and freeze, our veterans from the Iraq war are not allowed to March in remeberance of their dead, reminiscent of Maya and Milan.

I will try and mind my language, in future, and I can only be myself.

CSXXX

Charity Sweet
mail e-mail: charity.sweet@yahoo.com


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