Andreas Whittam Smith: Our peaceful acts of protest should not be a crime

This is an undemocratic and inefficient way of bringing in new legislation

Published: 12 December 2005

The legislation that resulted in the arrest, trial and conviction of Maya Evans, 25, for simply reading out, at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, the names of the 97 British soldiers who have died in the Iraq conflict, was steamrollered through Parliament by David Blunkett when he was the Home Secretary. Ms Evans was found guilty of breaching Section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. It is this which has rendered a spontaneous, peaceful act of protest, such as Ms Evans's, illegal.

Ms Evans was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs. The Act states that if anybody wishes to protest in a half-mile "exclusion zone" around Parliament, then he or she will have to give six days' notice to the Metropolitan Police. And in granting permission, the police will be able to set conditions, such as a half-hour time limit or a ban on placards or loudhailers.

Article Length: 830 words (approx.)