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"Welcome to Ledbury otherwise known as the Police State"

Netcu Watch | 02.03.2007 22:49 | Animal Liberation | Repression | Birmingham

When three animal rights campaigners turned up outside Sequani Limited (an animal testing firm in Ledbury, Herefordshire) in August 2006 to hold a peaceful and lawful demonstration against animal testing, they later referred to the town of Ledbury as 'the police state'.



No sooner had campaigners who were displaying inoffensive anti-vivisection posters arrived outside the lab west mercia police issued all present with section 5, section 50, section 60 and a section 42 orders.

See a short video of some of the day's events at  http://www.vivisection.info/midsanimalconcern/clip.html (Quicktime file)

Since August 2006 numerous complaints have been filed regarding the undemocratic activities of the west mercia constabulary.

Regular protests outside Sequani take place every week.


Notes

Section 5 Public Order Act 1986 - Conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress

Section 50 Police Reform Act 2002 - This makes it an offence to refuse to give your name and address to a police officer, where the officer reasonably suspects that you have engaged in “anti-social behaviour”.

Section 60AA Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 - authorisation confers power on an officer in uniform:

(a) to remove any item which the officer reasonably believes is used wholly or mainly for the purpose of concealing his identity and
(b) to seize any item which the officer reasonably believes any person intends to wear wholly or mainly for that purpose.

Section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 - confers power on the police to impose conditions on demonstrations taking place outside someone's home.

Netcu Watch
- Homepage: http://www.vivisection.info/netcu_watch/


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