03/06/2008

anti terror laws will stop peaceful protest


New Labour stop the rot NOW. Will we be able to do a Monbiot after this new terror legislation? Will we be able to make a peaceful protest against corporate war profiteers?

A letter today in the guardian by Lord Rea and others ....says that this is about more than 42 days tells us that Increasingly, "anti-terror" powers are used to convict individuals merely for alleged membership of "proscribed" political organisations, for possessing DVDs, for downloading web pages and to harass protesters for peaceful activities.

The police are increasingly abusing their powers in relation to section 12 and 14 of the public order act. In Cardiff protesters were banned from marching through Cardiff city centre as police invoked the public order act to minimise the visibility of the demonstration against the St Athan military academy. Police also insisted that written applications would be needed for further protests and threatened march organisers with arrest if anything untoward should happen at the event.

The pretext for the clampdown was that police ‘intelligence’ suggested that disruptive elements were targeting the march. It is simply enough that is an allegation is made?

The protest was against privatising MILITARY training to Raytheon - arms dealers and Serco and other corporate war profiteers on the New Labour delusion that it will save money! Services need to be accountable AND IN THE INTERESTS OF the community not corporations. See http://www.thegodsthatfailed.co.uk/?p=26

Counter-terror powers are already more than sufficient and there should not be more laws that will further permit police harassment of peaceful protesters and the protection of coporate interests.

Write to your mp asking them to vote against 2008 counter-terrorism Bill.

How can I get involved?
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Facebook Not a Day Longer

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8018032131

- Help us find out which Labour MPs oppose these plans. See: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=8018032131&topic=3550

- Sign the e-petition on the Downing Street website
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/notadaylonger/

- Write to your MP and tell them you oppose these plans!
http://www.writetothem.org

If you want to know how your MP votes, try this: http://www.theyworkforyou.org
which allows users to see their MP's voting record.

VOICES AGAINST
Recently, a whole range of establishment figures have spoken out against extending the 28 days detention period.
http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2007/11/23/28-days-list-of-names-against-extension/

These include:
Lord Goldsmith, former attorney general;
Ken Macdonald, director of public prosecutions and head of CPS;
Lord Woolf, former lord chief justice;
Vera Baird QC, solicitor-general;
Jonathan Evans, head of MI5;
Lord Falconer, former lord chancellor

Lord Rea, Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Bruce Kent Honorary vice president, CND, Dr Caroline Lucas MEP, Elfyn Llwyd MP, Frances Webber barrister, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Jonathan Bloch councillor, Lindsey German Stop the War Coalition, Liz Davies chair, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Louise Christian solicitor, Mark Oaten MP, Mark Thomas comedian and journalist, Massoud Shadjareh Islamic Human Rights Commission, Moazzam Begg spokesman for Cageprisoners and former Guantanamo detainee, Nicholas Hildyard policy analyst, Saleh Mamon Campaign Against Criminalising Communities, Victoria Brittain journalist

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/03/terrorism.justice?gusrc=rss&feed=politics

most Conservative and Libdem MPs are also against it.

Human rights group Liberty
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/

Justice
http://www.justice.org.uk

openDemocracy's British blog: OurKingdom
http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net

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