[matilda] Ringing a bell is now serious organised crime

[atw]

A few weeks ago the cops sent me a letter saying I was now on the list
of "serious fines defaulters" because I was a few weeks late with
paying off a fine (two thirds of which had been paid off).

Seems like Orwell was right. In Neo Labour's newspeak the word
'serious' now appears to mean what we used to call 'trivial'.

Check this out about the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act...


FIRST TRIAL UNDER NEW ANTI-PROTEST LAW
Anti-war activist arrested remembering war dead

Wednesday 7 December, Bow Street Magistrates Court, 28 Bow Street, London
WC2E 7AS
Vigil and bell-ringing: 9-10am
Trial: from 10am
Support welcome!

The first trial stemming from the new anti-protest zone around Parliament
will take place next Wednesday (7 December). Maya Evans from JNV
(www.j-n-v.org) was arrested on 25 October 2005 under the Serious Organised
Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) for taking part in an unauthorised bell-ringing
and name-reading cermony in Whitehall to mark the 1st anniversary of last
year's Lancet survey on war-related deaths in Iraq [A]

The Whitehall event was one of roughly 100 similar such events around the
world - which collectively carried out 100,000 rings [B] - and supporters
will join Maya outside the court between 9-10am on Monday to finish it, with
a bell toll and the reading of the names of 100 Iraqis who have been killed
since the invasion.

Under the new Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (April 2005) anyone
wishing to demonstrate within 1km of Parliament must apply to the
Metropolitan Police Commissioner at least 6 days in advance or, if not
"reasonably practicable", 24 hours in advance. Permission must be granted
but the Commissioner can impose draconian conditions on the protest
including: when and where it can take place; how long it can last; how many
people can attend; how much noise can be made; and the number and size of
banners and placards used.

So far at least 21 people are know to have been arrested under the Act and
further trials are scheduled to take place in January [C]

NOTES
[A]  The survey concluded that '[m]aking conservative assumptions.about
100,000 excess [Iraqi] deaths, or more ha[d] happened since the 2003
invasion of Iraq' and that '[v]iolence accounted for most of the excess
deaths and air strikes from coalition forces accounted for most violent
deaths.' See www.tinyurl.com/brsbk
[B] See www.iraqmortality.org
[C] See www.spy.org.uk/parliamentprotest/arrests/

www.peopleincommon.org





Independent grassroots news: www.sheffield.indymedia.org.uk



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