First arrests under the New Police Act preventing freedom of speech

Protest and protestors must be protected. These arrests and charges are outrageous and likely caused by overzealous policing. I hope the charges will be dropped under the weight of public opinion. The DPP needs to take a strong view on this and so should Starmer.

Slippery slope! How long before Trafalgar Square becomes Tiananmen Square?

We need to speak out! You might find this rather extreme but it is no small matter.

Let's not forget how easily things can change in an apparently civilised society.

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
—Martin Niemöller. Pastor in Nazi Germany.

If there was a protest going on on a public street during my loved ones funeral I would be immensely relieved that we live in a country where that is possible.

We must uphold freedom of speech! I might not agree with someone’s opinion but I firmly believe that they have the right to it. There are sufficient laws to manage slander, libel etc but a vague ‘ breach of the peace’ is not acceptable.

Re the man in Oxford: uk.style.yahoo.com/news/man-arrested-heckling-prince-andrew-162742005.html

I’m all for freedom of speech but there is a time and a place and someone’s funeral is definitely not. How would they feel if it was there family member and someone did it at yours. I definitely don’t think it would go down well if someone tried it.over next few days because ppl in the country are grieving. But these ppl are me me ppl only thinking of themselves and not of others.

More deeply depressing evidence of the sort of UK we are turning into.
I cannot understand how we, previously praised for our liberty and freedoms, have, little by little been conspiring to erode our own rights.

Yes, I feel sorry for the police having to enforce these (largely) new / opaque laws but why are we allowing these politicians into positions of power?
WHY are we electing them?

whitewavemark is right. Leaving the ECHR (as Russia did) is ridiculous and dangerous and shows where the government's mindset is.

The whole thing is desperate.

We can debate whether it was the 'right' time or not but I've been talking about this removal of our freedom of speech and right to protest for a while now... and here it is in action!

This law was slipped through by the tories. It's fascism, silencing any voice that doesn't mirror the majority or authorities view.

I've always been proud to say to people from other nations that I, as a British citizen, have the right to stand on any street and have the freedom to protest, should I choose. This is no longer the case!!

This fundamental democratic right, that was part of our 'greatnss' has been removed from me.... and you. How long before we will be required to state our options in closed rooms and in hushed tones?

It's a very serious issue!

Listen to the MP Mhairi Black's speak on Fascism in Britain.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVZ3QwA5wy8

The denial and burying of heads in the sand by people with a throwback Rule Britannia mindset is quite astonishing! Perhaps the truth of what is actually happening is just too frightening for most to face.

WWM2 apparently the Met has reminded its officers that people do have the right of protest. It’s going to be interesting.

Katie59

I’m pretty sure they would need police protection if that was attempted, they would be warned and if they persisted they would be arrested for “behavior likely to cause a breach of the peace”. In exactly the same way as Insulate Britain and Football hooligans get arrested.
Demonstrations and protests get denied and limited all the time

I agree with Katie59, and think the ‘arrest’ would have most likely been for ‘behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace. The ‘peace’ would most definitely have been disrupted had others in the crowd decided to silence the protesters. I suppose the polis were just trying to avoid escalation.

25Avalon the police have cited the new act and then retracted it.

Frankly I don’t think that they know what they are doing, which is a dangerous position to be in both for themselves - making the police look both stupid and ignorant - and for the wider public who can’t rely on the law to act in a fair manner.

Oh! Suddenly wonder if I'm wrong then volver? Had always thought it was Queen Victoria and the King of Afghanistan.

caleo it was Queen Victoria who held a banquet for the King of Afghanistan. Don't know if it was the king who did this or an important dignitary but when the finger bowls were brought he drank his as hadn't seen one before. Queen Victoria then shut everyone up by drinking hers and put her guest at ease.

Don't know if it's true but that's the story.

They weren’t arrested under the new act. The police could have arrested those pulling down Colston’s statue, they could have arrested BLM marches before the act but didn’t, so I think you have to look at the motives of the police. They have an allegiance to the monarch so may have found it disrespectful, they may have feared for the protestors safety and anticipated a breach of the peace. Whatever they decided to “arrest” these protestors and did so. They didn’t need the new act. If the reasons for arrest don’t hold up the person gets released. It just removes them from the scene. The police with Colston’s statue and the anti monarchy protestors sided with the majority. Now there’s an interesting thought.

people glueing themselves to the roads for instance are NOT being violent or aggressive

- remember the suffragettes?

caleo yes I agree about everyone coming out in support of free speech.

Who? Drank from the finger bowl?

Don't be sorry, I like my info to be corrected

those arrested want to be arrested! that is their aim. what's the problem?

Actually I think it was James IV's wife. Sorry.

It is dangerous to stop people expressing opinions and feelings, unless the intention is to agitate for criminal activity. It's not a crime to be a republican.

I am a monarchist and I may become a republican if I so wish.

If silencing republican opinion gets worse the best way to support free speech is for everyone to come out as a rebel, like the King of Denmark wore the yellow star for a Jew, and like the King of England drank from his finger bowl so the foreign guest would not be shamed.

It was quite clear how some of the crowd reacted to the man shouting his views at Prince Andrew.

Yes it was. The police dragged off somebody for shouting but didn't act at all on the two men who had physically attacked him.

As for the Royal Mile, I think things were probably pretty volatile when the Jacobite Army used it during the '45, or during the Porteous Riots. Or when James V's wife walked her children up there after he had been killed.

volver

So it worked then, because we are talking about the protests they made.

The Royal Mile has seen a lot more kerfuffle in the past than a young lad shouting at a parade.

We are talking about the protesters but not really about their message they were trying to convey
The protesters certainly don't affend me my personal feelings towards them are irrelevant
I am sure the Royal Mile has seen many a kerfuffle but not so many at a time of heighten security with snipers on the rooftops with the police having to prevent any disruption or disturbances.
It was quite clear how some of the crowd reacted to the man shouting his views at Prince Andrew
My views may not be PC or correct but just my thoughts of what was happening

So it worked then, because we are talking about the protests they made.

The Royal Mile has seen a lot more kerfuffle in the past than a young lad shouting at a parade.

It is not a crime to be disrespectful. Clamping down on free speech and freedom of expression should be worrying for all of us. I may disagree - sometimes vehemently - with the views of some posters on here, but I would just as vehemently defend their right to express those views.

volver

What do you think the motives of the protesters are rosie1959? To make their views known to a wide audience and draw attention to their cause, maybe?

In this situation the audience are hardly likely to be interested in their views they have queuing up knee deep to catch a view of the queen.
They actually only gain any recognition if they are arrested and it hits the news