[g8-sheffield] the right of unlawful protest

[@@]

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/06/314275.html


"The right to lawful protest:"
This is more than outrageous, it is a semantic trap: by qualifying a 
right, it becomes limited and diminished from its original full 
meaning... Now we have "lawful" and "unlawful" protest (and good, public 
orderly protesters -the ones who agree to be penned in in without the 
others-- and bad protesters).
The right to unlawful protest was exercised in Sheffield this week 
therefore by everybody else; in addition, 10 drunkards were arrested and 
charged with minor fines (...)

Remember "legal and illegal" immigration or the "stop uncontrolled 
immigration" from election campaign? This is the same kind of semantic 
crap.

Sadly enough: these 100 "good" protesters (the authorized demo Thursday 
out Cathedral) have performed a betrayal.




> Ten people were arrested during two nights of protests against the
> meeting.
> 
> But Mr Hughes said on Friday that these were only a tiny minority of
> the protesters who gathered in the city and were allowed to make
> their views known.
> 
> "We've experienced no serious disorder during the conference period
> and have facilitated the right to lawful protest outside each of the
> functions the ministers have attended," he said.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/4105264.stm