Party Vibe

government wins appeal against brian haw’s peace protest

the serious organised crime and police act came into force on the 1st august last year, section 132 of which requires any person intending to hold a demonstration near parliament to seek authorisation from the police and to adhere to any conditions that the police may apply.

brian haw won a court case in july last year against the home secretary and the metropolitan police which gave him permission to apply for judicial review, and quashed some provisions of the act, on the basis that it could not apply to his continuing demonstration that had started in june 2001.

he won the case and since august 1st his demonstration has been the ONLY one that has not needed police permission. however, the home sec and the met appealed against this decision, and today’s verdict was the response to that appeal.

the appeal has been allowed.

section 132 DOES apply to brian haw

costs have been set aside and brian will not be made to pay any costs.

permission to appeal to the house of lords is REFUSED

permission to stay in parliament square pending any petition to the lords is also REFUSED.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/05/340022.html

Earlier this month Court of Appeal judges overturned a ruling that allowed him to carry out his protest, which he began in June 2001.

It meant he had to apply for police permission – which was granted on 9 May.

But he was told to keep his numerous anti-war placards to within three metres – police say he has repeatedly breached his conditions.

Mr Haw said: “It seems I am going to die in this place now because I’m going to be fasting and praying.

“They have left me with just one placard. All of my personal belongings have been taken and dumped in a container along with nearly all the displays.

“They have completely destroyed all the expressions of people who opposed the war in Iraq.”

Police overpowered two supporters who had climbed on top of a metal container at the side of the square to blow whistles and wave a banner declaring “Freedom of expression over political repression”.

Officers removed the placards at 0235 BST, saying Mr Haw had breached conditions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.

Doug Jewell, from civil rights group Liberty, said: “The government’s intolerance has surely reached a fever-pitch when 50 police are sent in to dismantle one man’s peaceful protest in the middle of the night.”

Mr Haw has slept in Parliament Square among a large display of anti-war banners, placards and flags, many presented to him by well-wishers.

But such a permanent fixture proved an irritant to his neighbours in the House of Commons.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5007214.stm