A Fatal Apathy

In 2005, to a collective shrug of the shoulders, the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act was passed. This apathetic response was, and continues to be, a surprise. Under Section 132, it has become illegal to conduct a demonstration, either on your own or with others, in a "designated area" without prior police permission. This "designated area" is, in effect, anywhere up to one kilometre from Parliament Square, ie. anywhere you'd want to demonstrate against the government.

Admittedly, the permission has to be granted. However, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police may place limits on:


(a) the place where the demonstration may, or may not, be carried on,

(b) the times at which it may be carried on,

(c) the period during which it may be carried on,

(d) the number of persons who may take part in it,

(e) the number and size of banners or placards used,

(f) maximum permissible noise levels.
If, in his "reasonable opinion", the protest would pose a danger to public safety, public order or security. Things like that.

The problem with this is that the Commissioner's "reasonable opinion" could, in fact, be anything. This, and phrases like it, are to be found in various pieces of legislation that have been passed under the Labour Government. There are no checks, no balances, it is the Commissioner's decision, and the Commissioner's alone.

What the Act represents is a serious infringement of civil liberties in this country. The right to protest is one of the most important rights that we possess (or perhaps, used to possess). We ought to be able to do it without having to ask for permission from the authorities, who are free to place whatever restrictions they like on it (for remember, there are no test of "reasonable opinion"). With this measure, this right, which is so vital to our continued existence as a free, democratic society, becomes a privilege, a treat, something the government lets us have as long as we're good and behave ourselves. It is typical of the disregard for Liberty shown by various Western leaders in recent times.

As if this was not enough, the legislation is applied in a strict and unbending manner. One man standing outside Parliament with a banner saying "Freedom of Speech" was arrested under this act. He posed no threat to security or public order, not was he a hindrance to access to Parliament or Parliamentary business. But, because he had not asked for permission, he was arrested. The same happened to someone eating a cake with the words "Freedom of Speech" inscribed on it in icing. Even a man dressed as Charlie Chaplin carrying a sign saying "Not Aloud" outside Downing Street was arrested under this act. I kid you not.

But, it is not the behaviour of the Government that is the worst thing of all. No, it is the behaviour of the British people. The sheer apathy that has permeated our politics has even seeped into our concern about our rights. We did not care that our rights were being taken away, and we continue not to care. This disgraceful state of affairs will not only persist, but it will deteriorate for as long as we keep up this fatal apathy, this apathy is the thing that strips us of our rights, of our Liberty. If we want our rights, we need to fight for them. As the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC says, Freedom is not Free.

One final point. As the man dressed as Charlie Chaplin was arrested and bundled into a Police van, one person in the crowd shouted out "It's a free country, isn't it?"



Apparently not.