From: roger@hayter.org 
  
 On 10 Aug 2025 at 23:20:45 BST, "Norman Wells"  wrote: 
  
 > On 10/08/2025 22:15, billy bookcase wrote: 
 >> "The Todal"  wrote in message 
 >> news:mfsc9uFs6deU3@mid.individual.net... 
 >> 
 >> 
 >>> Yvette Cooper thanked police for their work handling Palestine rights 
 >>> protests across 
 >>> the UK on Saturday, saying there had been a "very small number of people 
 >>> whose actions 
 >>> crossed the line into criminality". 
 >>> 
 >>> unquote 
 >>> 
 >>> Which implies that many people were arrested for actions that didn't 
 cross 
 >>> the line 
 >>> into criminality. 
 >> 
 >> Which also clearly indicates that the Home Secretary is quite willing to 
 >> prejudge issues of criminality;  which formerly were the sole province of 
 >> the Courts to decide 
 > 
 > Which of course they will in due course, if any charges are actually 
 > brought. 
 > 
 > There is very little doubt that the vast majority at least of those 
 > arrested were strictly breaking the law which says: 
 > 
 > "A person commits an offence if the person€€€ 
 > 
 > (a) expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed 
 > organisation, and 
 > 
 > (b) in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the 
 > expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed 
 > organisation." 
 > 
 > The law is framed in such a way that it encompasses holding a placard 
 > expressing support of Palestine Action, which the many arrested 
 > 'terrorist offenders' did directly and deliberately. 
 > 
 > The main purpose of their protest in my view, however, was not to do 
 > anything about Palestine, which no-one here can, but to show the absurd 
 > nature of the law by getting arrested for peacefully exerting their 
 > right to freedom of expression, which is an admirable and honourable aim. 
 > 
 > "In a post on X shortly after 6.45pm on Sunday, Defend Our Juries said 
 > every person arrested in the square had been released from police 
 > custody, and that none had been charged." 
 > 
 > https://news.sky.com/story/more-than-500-people-arrested-after 
 palestine-action-protest-with-about-a-half-aged-60-and-above-13409747 
 > 
 > That sounds to me like 532 unwarranted arrests for which someone needs 
 > to be accountable. 
 > 
 > Now I hope the government will be held to account for the 
 > heavy-handedness of the police, the very large number of arrests that 
 > came to nothing, the cost of them and the relocation of other prisoners 
 > (which I'm paying for incidentally), and indeed having such a law at all 
 > that either can't be or won't be enforced. 
 > 
 > The whole situation is a ludicrous shambles.  The government is to 
 > blame, and it needs to do something about it urgently.  Does it really 
 > believe in freedom of expression and the right to protest peacefully or 
 > doesn't it? 
  
 Clearly it does not so believe. It has not repealed any of the laws 
 restricting protest passed by the last government. Both Tweedledee and 
 Tweedledum are taking advantage of widespread dislike of sanctimonious 
 climate 
 protesters to greatly restrict our free speech and protest about issues that 
 may actually be important. 
  
  
 -- 
  
 Roger Hayter 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)