[g8-sheffield] assuring our right to demonstrate

[Chris]

Hi

On Sat 21-May-2005 at 02:36:56PM +0100, John Smith wrote:
> 
> I don't want any policing by the police, there is no
> need for the police, we are quite capable of maintaining
> the safety and security of our own demonstrations. 

So you are going to demand that the police don't turn up?
Seems reasonable but I don't expect they will take much
notice of such demands...

> There's one thing I'm not clear about: are you objecting
> to having any mention in the open letter of stewarding,
> or are you objecting to having stewards on the demo?

Stewards to stop kids getting run over by cars or doing
legal observer stuff is obviously a good thing, as I said
it's this bit I don't like:

  Anyone who does not respect the defined route of the
  demonstration and the stewards who will be appointed to
  keep order is not welcome and will be told to go away.

The two of the best demonstrations I can remember in
Sheffield, the Mayday 200 one and the one on the day war
against Iraq started didn't have defined routes, in a
situation like that the stewards would have ended up being
left on their own by everyone...

Also what kinds of disorder are you anticipating that the
stewards are going to be tackling? I can't think on any
example of something happening on demos in Sheffield that
has required this kind of stuff...

Chris

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