Right To Protest Campaigners Arrested In Liverpool

Post by **fish5133** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 3:54 am

Police Clampdown on “right to protest” campaigners

Saturday 11th October

A variety of campaign groups including Save the NHS , Stop The War, Socialist Worker, NO2ID and the 911Truth Movement gathered in Church Street to exercise the right of peaceful protest, in response to the arrest of a campaigner several weeks previous. Police arrived and requested the identification of campaigners before confiscating their leaflets and tables.A press photographer had to wrestle his camera back from being confiscated. Two people were arrested. Additional police were called in when the large crowd that had gathered started chanting "Let them go" and blocked the police vehicle in which the arrested couple were being held. The crowds were eventually moved back to allow the Police vehicles to leave Church Street. Many of the campaigners said they will be back to fight against the erosion of our civil liberties that the present Government have imposed and that the Police have to uphold.

Hoping some photos and clips courtesy of Hatsoff on youtube soon.

Busker · Post by **Busker** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:16 am

What powers were they exercising to confiscate leaflets?

What Act and what section of the Act?

Post by **fish5133** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:18 pm

Busker wrote:What powers were they exercising to confiscate leaflets?

What Act and what section of the Act?

I dont know yet. Will try contact MerseyPolice and find out. Their website isnt much help when it comes to finding out what/where/when leafleting.

I understand their may be a local bye-law about littering and the usual "causing an obstruction" which is pretty lame given that this street must be 15 to 20m wide.
I dont know if it was the small pasting tables that the Police felt gave them authority to move in. I dont know if they gave the guys who had tables the option to take them down.

There was some necessity that any literature handed out should have a printers address on it, what for I dont know, but that is easily done.

Religous literature has some exemptions as does open air preaching .

This particular street in Liverpool used to have market traders with stalls flogging trackies etc but they got moved out. It seems to be a bit of a contentious area between council,police and campaigners. Certainly a small battle ground for freedom of speech.

hatsoff · Post by **hatsoff** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:55 pm

posted on echo forums

In Liverpool city centre today(11th October 2008), the police acted unlawfully by removing leaflets and stalls from a legal freedom of expression/speech event. This was the first action by a unified group of political activists and all who envoke the right to freedom of expression and free thought and speech.

Please see the following articles: (google the rest)
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/410405.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en.....10408.html

I would have thought that the Echo would have covered this story. After all, they DO stand up for free speech. See this article from July 2008. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk.....-21355435/

A police officer did - forceably and without prior request - confiscate a camera from a member of the public which constitutes an unlawfull action. However, after protest from the owner and members of the public alike, the camera was returned.

The people of Liverpool stood together on this one. They brought Church St to a standstill in the name of freedom.
It's time we took our lives back under our own control folks.

INFO ON THE RIGHT TO DISTRIBUTE POLITICAL LITERATURE - IT'S EXEMPTED
FROM LITTERING REGULATIONS UNDER THE CLEAN NEIGHBOURHOODS ACT

"The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act deals with many of the
problems affecting the quality of our local environment - which forms
part of a continuum with anti-social behaviour, vandalism, disorder
and levels of crime.

The Act provides local authorities, parish and community councils and
the Environment Agency with more effective powers and tools to tackle
poor environmental quality and anti-social behaviour. In particular
the Act includes sections on nuisance and abandoned vehicles, litter,
graffiti, waste, noise and dogs."
http://www.defra.gov.uk/Enviro.....a/index.ht
m

Guidance on Part 4 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as
amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
http://www.defra.gov.uk/Enviro.....ea/litter-
refuse.pdf - the section on distribution of free literature is pp 37-
46

The act itself:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/ac.....50016_en_1

The section on free distribution of printed matter - point 4(b) is
the relevant one:

"(1) A person commits an offence if he distributes any free printed
matter without the consent of a principal litter authority on any
land which is designated by the authority under this Schedule, where
the person knows that the land is so designated.
(2) A person commits an offence if he causes another person to
distribute any free printed matter without the consent of a principal
litter authority on any land designated by the authority under this
Schedule.
(3) A person is not guilty of an offence under sub-paragraph (2) if
he took reasonable steps to ensure that the distribution did not
occur on any land designated under this Schedule.
(4) Nothing in this paragraph applies to the distribution of printed
matter—
(a) by or on behalf of a charity within the meaning of the Charities
Act 1993, where the printed matter relates to or is intended for the
benefit of the charity;
(b) where the distribution is for political purposes or for the
purposes of a religion or belief."

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/ac.....-pb3-l1g23

Post by **fish5133** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:04 am

Nice one Hatsoff. I also sent a story in to the Echo for publication in their newspaper so if a few others have done the same they can have a choice. I tried to avoid too many political overtones in the hope they wouldnt bin it. Could make Mondays echo. Gave them a photo (rubbish one) as well.One of yours would probably have had more action on it.

hatsoff · Post by **hatsoff** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:56 pm

will this happen in Liverpool next weekend? will this happen any where else?
The Liverpool Freedom Of Expression groups first action was Freedom Not Fear Day.
lets hope this ethos continues and spreads to other villages, towns and cities and so on.

For info and links to pics/vids see:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/ ... 10408.html

Post by **TonyGosling** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:19 pm

An amazing effort.
What was on the leaflets though?
Would be nice to read what the cops were censoring.

hatsoff · Post by **hatsoff** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:31 pm

www.uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qGeQWcYErVs
part 1

www.uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wPUTA4Gw7vk&feature=related
part 2

Busker · Post by **Busker** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:22 pm

So the next step to take is to identify the individual officers involved and sue them personally.

I've said it before, that is the only way these officers will start to question their actions when their own personal assets are put on the line.

(By the way, you need to loose the www. from the above links for them to work.)

Post by **fish5133** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:27 pm

PLUS ANGRY SCOUSERS BY A.N.OTHER

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0kydAPF1Q ... e=related

Disco_Destroyer · Post by **Disco_Destroyer** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:54 pm

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGeQWcYErVs[/youtube]
Part 1

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPUTA4Gw7vk[/youtube]
Part 2

Disco_Destroyer · Post by **Disco_Destroyer** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:15 pm

I charge thee with Alarm and Distress?? by Officer Wilson
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kydAPF1QZ0[/youtube]

Post by **fish5133** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:59 pm

Thanks Hatsoff for videoing and getting these clips on youtube. Good job PC Wilson didnt get your camera.
Give him his due he kept resolutely to his task with a professionalism amidst a torrent of questions that is until he saw you filming him. He probably wished he'd never blew his bike tyres up that morning!
Charged with causing "alarm and distress".To who? What a joke.

If PC Wilson is claiming that it is he who was caused alarm and distress then that gives any PC any excuse to arrest anyone for anything.

Post by **fish5133** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:21 am

TonyGosling wrote:An amazing effort.
What was on the leaflets though?
Would be nice to read what the cops were censoring.

Its quite obvious from the diversity of literature on the 10 or so tables that the police werent censoring anything in particular. I put my 9/11 stuff back in my bag when i saw what was happening as i didnt want it binned by the Police.
The police are obviously acting on instructions from higher ups probably within the local council. An ex councillor on a local radio station said that the Police actions were sinister and a step towards tyranny if freedom of speech is curtailed.

The Police have probably helped the cause by farcically blowing the situation out of proportion and creating the publicity it has.

Ive just emailed Liverpool City Council to ask if i can hand out leaflets this saturday. Looking forward to their reply

Post by **TonyGosling** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:12 am

Surely a Merseyside police 'exercise' that 'went live'.
Testing the water, so to speak.

marky 54 · Post by **marky 54** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:21 pm

so the police can protest about low pay, because that effects them, but the public cannot campaign/protest about anything.

were the police officers who attended the protest about low pay causing alarm and distress?

its amazing how many dumb idiots follow orders without thinking or caring about the conseqences.

lets hope their children(when older, or if old enough already) don't become victims of their own justification of such actions, this sets the way for their children to be treated as criminals if they feel the need to speak out about injustice.

they are the only people i know who are willing to take away their own childrens freedoms. what are these people? drones?

how do they choose who has the right to campaign/protest and who dos'nt?

John White · Post by **John White** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:59 pm

It seems to me the protest has successfully demonstrated that there IS a problem to protest about and demand change

This I consider an EXCELLENT result

Can we please all forward this footage and information as widely as we can throughout our contacts?

IanFantom · Post by **IanFantom** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:40 pm

Merseyside Police declare £15,000 expenditure on Common Purpose (23/09/2008)
Police

Merseyside police declare over £15,000 expenditure on Common Purpose. The police are often claiming shortage of funds to fight crime but there appears to be no problem in paying for traing by a pro EU political charity. What do Merseyside rate payers feel about this?

http://cpexposed.com/archive/results.ph ... Merseyside

Do we have details of PC Wilson, and what department he is in?

Disco_Destroyer · Post by **Disco_Destroyer** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:14 pm

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImC2orpcA4I[/youtube]

lol

Disco_Destroyer · Post by **Disco_Destroyer** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:35 pm

This is not so funny! This is a sad day when standing up for your rights can be classed as causing Alarm and Distress.
So what you can't even approach a police officer?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC7b9zLlK_4[/youtube]

Disco_Destroyer · Post by **Disco_Destroyer** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:39 pm

That said though surely they are setting the Legal Basis for the Abolition of CCTV and other Remote Surveillence??

marky 54 · Post by **marky 54** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:37 am

Disco_Destroyer wrote:That said though surely they are setting the Legal Basis for the Abolition of CCTV and other Remote Surveillence??

absolutely, all people have to say is that when they are being filmed on cctv is causing them alarm and distress. the law does protect or apply to everybody dos'nt it?

spiv · Post by **spiv** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:18 am

May I ask, is an official challenge/complaint being levelled at the Police for seemingly overstepping their powers?

Having watched the above videos of them rounding up, closing stalls and seizing literature, my blood boiled at just how far we have gone down the road into a police state, and just how silent the majority of the population is about it.

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:01 pm

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... arch&meta=

9/11, 7/7, Covid-1984 & the War on Freedom

Right To Protest Campaigners Arrested In Liverpool

Right To Protest Campaigners Arrested In Liverpool

Freedom Of Expression - Liverpool 11th Oct 2008

Re: Freedom Of Expression - Liverpool 11th Oct 2008

Is complaint being lodged..?

Giving out leaflets in Liverpool city centre.