The prohibition of “unauthorised” activities in Parliament Square is just part of the creeping trend towards the private control of public space, which can lead to excessive restrictions or exclusion. The Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act further expanded the powers of councils and the police to control who can do what in public space. The private and state restrictions on public space are hardly in the spirit of democracy and inclusion. They undermine the idea of public space that is open, accessible and free to enjoy.The police have a duty to facilitate peaceful protest in this country which people have a legal right to do, but that appears to end as soon as you come within shouting distance of the Westminster village. It’s a pity that a peaceful protest drawing attention to the inequality in our society is not allowed to continue. Democracy and protest can be messy and inconvenient, but they are essential to having a free society and should not be hidden away to spare the discomfort of those in power. The people who run this country should not be able to tuck demonstrators away out of sight
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 09:00:33 +0000
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