Civil liberties and the 'war on terror' - 2005 - news archive

The new Police powers of arrest, which make all offences, no matter how trivial, into arrestable offences, come into force on 1st January 2006 i.e. after midnight tonight. These were brought into law without proper Parliamentary scrutiny in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 Section 110 Powers of arrest.
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Remember that being arrested nowadays involves you being photographed (after haveing been forced to remove any clothing which may obscure your face), being fingerprinted (all ten digits and both palms, if you possess them), having non-intimate tissue samples e.g. mouth swabs taken for DNA analysis, and records on vvarious Police and Intelligence computer databases, all of which dtata gets retained indefinately, even if you are never charged with an offence, and even if you are found not guilty in court.

Fears that an exposé of the UK government over torture will be covered up have led dissident bloggers including the Glos Green party to publish on the web

Philip Booth, a spokesperson for the Stroud District Green party said: "This evidence of our Government's complicity in obtaining intelligence extracted by foreign torturers is very shocking. Both Jack Straw and Tony Blair claim that using intelligence gained by torture is 'morally, legally and practically wrong'. Yet we now have evidence from Britain's former Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray which shows that Tony Blair and Jack Straw do not appear to have told us the truth about their use of intelligence gained by torture and their awareness of the practice of torture."

"I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people will join in."

Sign the pledge at http://www.pledgebank.com/protest

Members of Pax Christi today today risked arrest by assembling outside Downing Street and reading out the names of Iraqi children and British servicemen killed in Iraq. The government's ban on free speech is looking increasingly shaky as another unauthorised protest went ahead inside the exclusion zone without any effort by the Police to arrest the participants.

More demonstrators have gathered in an "exclusion zone" to test the limits of a law banning protests without the police authorisation. Catholic peace group Pax Christi read out names of children killed in the Iraq conflict at Downing Street. Members said prayers at the event, which did not have police permission, but officers chose not to intervene.

The first person to be arrested for holding a "demonstration" on their own without prior written permission from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, within the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 Designated Area, is due to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court around 10am Wednesday 29th December 2005.

We think that Barbara Tucker was arrested on Monday 19th December 2005, near Parliament carrying a banner saying "I am not the Serious Organised Criminal".

She seems to be the first person to have been arrested and charged under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 section 132(1) (c)

Hooray that nobody got arrested, however

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "We treated the event as a carol service and not as a demonstration so the legislation did not come into play."

This may be the common sense view, but it is not the law. Under the stupid wording of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 sections 132 to 138, the Metropolitan Police do not have any discretion in the matter.

BBC Radio 4 6pm news gave a few minutes to cover tonight's carol singing in Parliament Square: http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/12/330376.html
They said that the "organisers" have "invited" the police to the service, but not "notified" them. Apparently Scotland Yard are "aware" of the carol service, and the Home Office said that the law applies to "protests". "The exact status of a carol service isn't clear" apparently.

although for the most part, the carol singing was just that, at one point a megaphone was used (in total contravention of the socpa law) and brian haw made a short political speech which resulted in crowd shouting for freedom and peace, again clearly in defiance of the law banning spontaneous protest in the exclusion zone around parliament.

the police were notable by their absence. on every other occasion when any sort of group has gathered in the square, either community support officers or police have come to investigate and see if any crime was being committed under the controversial section 132 of the law.

performance artist mark mcgowan walked backwards from parliament square passing downing street while wearing a t-shirt stating 'this is not a protest' and quietly chanting the same words. although briefly questioned by communtiy support officers he was not arrested. ok, so not the most radical challenge to the ridiculous 'serious organised crime and police act' that bans unauthorised demonstrations in the exclusion zone around parliament, but nevertheless, once again pointing out the inconsistent and arbitrary application of this law by the authorities.

Mark McGowan walked backwards around Westminster, central London, saying aloud the "this is not a protest" slogan written on his T-shirt. He said the fact that he did not get arrested showed that it was a "really stupid law", because he was protesting.

I thought it went really well today for one I wasn’t arrested which was great because my mum would have freaked out. I must admit I was a little bit scared as the threat of arrest felt quite strong as there is a massive police presence in the Westminster / Parliament Square area. I arrived a little early and asked some tourists to take my photo under Big Ben (which I have attached) with my This Is Not A Protest, tee shirt. The, font size of the letters were quite big and printed front and back. I joked with a community policeman and he said that the tee shirt was obviously a protest.

The argument makes no sense unless there is an assumption that the purpose of rendition is to send people to a place where things could be done to them that could not be done in the United States. Rendition doesn't become a tool in the war against terror unless people are being sent to a place where they can be interrogated harshly.' -- David Luban, law professor at Georgetown University (currently a visiting professor at Stanford University)

Maya Evans' MP writes a load of hogwash to the Independent about the necessity of the no-protest zone around Parliament to prevent a "terrorist atrocity under the guise of a legitimate demonstration". And gets debunked by Bloggerheads.

4 minutes, 18meg. In which Cindy Sheean, mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq, meets Brian Haw at Parliament Square, the police warn people that they suspect an unauthorised demonstration may be about to happen, and Brian and Cindy walk to Downing Street.

At 12 oclock this morning, a crowd of well wishers turned up in Parliment Square to meet Cindy Sheehan who is going to meet with Brian Haw who is camped on Parliament Square and has been there for over 4 years. About 60 people in all probably, half of them are media, half of those independent media and campaign groups media.
At about 12.30, the police turned up and the officer in charge said he thought this was an illegal demonstration and read out the offensive law (which I cant remember what exactly it is called) and told people that if they had not dispersed by 1.15 then they would all be arrested. None of the people there are demonstrating! they told the cop that this was a social gathering and had little to do with a demonstration but he would have none of it.

Today Friday 9th December 2005, at Hove Crown Court, three protesters who had been convicted of Aggravated Trespass because of a rooftop occupation at Brighton arms dealer’s EDO MBM, were acquitted of all charges. The rooftop occupation happened on 20th May 2004. The result of today’s appeal will mean the EDO’s crumbling case for an injunction against named protesters has been damaged even further as their legal team were relying on the convictions as evidence of harassment of employees of the factory.

Anti-war protester Brian Haw was arrested this morning and forced briefly to leave the camp outside Parliament where he has maintained a vigil since 2001. Mr Haw, 56, from Worcestershire, said that he was taken to nearby Charing Cross police station and released shortly afterwards without charge.
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"I was woken up at about 8am by a couple of them shouting at a young woman who was minding my stuff while I slept. They told her she was demonstrating and it was against the law, but she said she was just a friend of mine. I stuck my head out of my sleeping bag and said: 'Are you bothering this lady?' and, eventually, they arrested me for breach of the peace. I'm not breaching the peace. I'm fighting for it."

Jack Straw did not "act alone" in his decision to co-operate with the United States government's torture programme. Labour North West could have stopped him, but they didn't. They actively supported Straw in May 2005, even when the extent of his torture complicity was becoming very clear.

brian haw's one man protest outside westminster embarassed the warmongers inside. it seemed easier to try to stop protest against the war than to stop the greed that led to war, so they brought in new legislation. he's still there, but today the first guilty verdict was passed on an 'unauthorised protest' that comprised just two people performing a remembrance ceremony opposite downing street.

Many listeners to Radio 4's Today Programme will have been shocked this morning to hear their new presenter Stephen Sackur apparently supporting the use of torture. After giving prime time to the views of an unknown Washington functionary who supported the use of "rough interrogations", Sackur then confronted Human Rights campaigner Mary Robinson. If Sackur had wished to comply with the BBC's legal obligation to exercise impartiality he might have said "Is he right?". Instead Sackur said: "He's right, isn't he?". The tone left no doubt that Sackur believed he was right. A shocked Mary Robinson stumbled as she tried to explain basic elements of the rule of law to a hostile and sceptical interviewer.

More pics from Beating the Bounds, 4th December 2005. See www.peopleincommon.org for information on SOCPA, the law excluding protest within 1km of Parliamnet Square unless notice is given.

activists resurrected an ancient tradition of marking the boundary of a parish by walking round it and beating sticks. today they used this tradition to mark the edge of the protest exclusion zone introduced at the beginning of august that criminalises protest in a zone around parliament unless authorised in advance by police.

Sussex police are trying to get activists to meet in advance of the rally and march in Brighton town centre on December 10th. Here are the last two mails from Sussex Event Liaison Officer Sean McDonald.

The injunction proceedings against anti-arms trade protesters at EDO MBM, an arms manufacturer in Brighton, were adjourned yesterday until Febuary 13th 2006. In a bizarre twist EDO's lawyer, Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden, was ordered to employ a barrister to defend him against charges of professional negligence. Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden has made a career from stringing out high court injunction proceedings thus imposing draconian injunctions against protesters without them ever reaching a full trial.

Peace Activists in Brighton have taken the unusual step of negotiating with the police via an open letter. The text of the letter is as follows

Today saw the adjournment of the “Smash EDO” case in the High Court to early 2006 when a lawyer in the the case will have to deal with accusations of malpractice, including illegally obtaining material on protesters from the police and abuse of court process to delay the trial.

I would like to contend Ann Snelgrove's statement that of the "thousands" of letters she has so far received on the subject, "not one has come out in opposition to identity cards". Well I, for one, have written to her in opposition, and received a reply. As a member of the Swindon No2ID group I am aware of several other members who have also had similar correspondence with her.

I WAS saddened and annoyed to see Anne Snelgrove MP's comments about ID cards in the Swindon Advertiser of November 21. She states: "Of the thousands of letters I've received on this subject, not one has come out in opposition to identity cards". I have written three times to Ms Snelgrove on this subject, and each time I have stated quite categorically that I am opposed to the Government's ID card scheme.

The march on 10th December starts in Churchill Square, Brighton, at 12 noon. It comes six months after EDO MBM applied for an injunction to limit protests outside their factory see http://www.smashedo.org.uk/pressreleases/05-04-12....

Under the terms of a high court interim injunction brought under the Protection from Harassment Act (PHA) 1997 protesters may not step in the road opposite the factory or take photographs of employees see http://www.smashedo.org.uk/pressreleases/05-04-30.... The injunction has lead to the criminalisation of many protesters including two who have been remanded in HMP Lewes.

Several protesters are currently defending themselves in the High Court against allegations that their protests have harassed employees, they argue that the injunction jeopardises their right to protest.

The planned march could be the biggest yet in the 18 month old campaign and will come soon after the high court decides whether or not to extend the injunction.

Two women were arrested on Friday 25th November while holding a bell-ringing ceremony outside Parliament to remember the estimated 100,000 people who had died since the beginning of the war in Iraq.

The women were arrested for being 'participants in an unauthorised demonstration'. The police were very reluctant to arrest and briefly authorised the protest but then banned it again when the women refused to give their details on the grounds that if the demonstration was now 'authorised' they should not be obliged to give their names.

The police also helpfully suggested that the two women join Brian Haw on the opposite pavement as he is the only person exempt from the laws ironically introduced to prevent his permanent anti-war display. However, as Brian's side of the pavement is now practically devoid of passers-by, this option was also turned down.

One policeman was heard saying 'I wish I could join you. I wish I could do what you're doing. This is filthy. This is very hard for all of us'.

I have written an open letter to Ms Snelgrove for your readers to consider: Dear Ms Snelgrove, Several of our group are constituents of yours.

These people have certainly written to you, in some cases more than once, to assert their opposition to the Government's plan to introduce a National Identity register as part of the ID card bill. As you have replied to these constituents I have to assume that you did in fact receive their letters. I therefore invite you to correct your reported statement in the Swindon Advertiser of November 19 that. "Of the thousands of letters I've received on the subject of ID cards, not one has come out in opposition to identity cards." It being extremely unusual for people to write to their MP to say that they are in favour of a Government proposal, I wonder if you meant to say that you had received thousands of letters in opposition to ID cards?

Two women were arrested today while holding a bell-ringing ceremony outside parliament as part of an international peace event, to mark the anniversary of the release of the Lancet study on 29th October 2004 which estimated 100,000 people had died since the beginning of the war in Iraq. Similar ceremonies have and will be occurring in nearly 100 other communities around the United States and United Kingdom.

IDENTITY cards are nearly fascist and similar to registers used to single out Jews in Nazi Germany, a controversial Swindon peer has said. Lord Stoddart, of Swindon, who was the town's Labour MP from 1970 to 1983, compared the Government's flagship legislation with fascist laws introduced by Adolf Hitler in 1933.
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"Hitler in 1933 did exactly the same. As soon as he came to power he introduced a national register which enabled him to define who were Jews and who were non-Jews, and we know what that gave rise to."

Having admitted after the 7/7 bombings that ID cards could not prevent terrorist atrocities, the Government now claims that they will prevent identity theft. International experience shows that assigning everyone a unique identifier ­ the proposed National Identity Register Number on your card ­ is actually more likely to increase identity fraud.

On October 23rd, 230 people from over 80 local and national organisations took part in a historic Freedom To Protest conference in North London. The conference was organised by and for campaigns and groups affected by recent repressive laws and measures being increasingly used by the government and companies to try to suppress public protest and dissent. Participants pledged to help develop and support effective strategies for standing up for the public's freedom to protest against injustice and oppression.

The full trial of a controversial High Court civil injunction, brought by Brighton arms dealers EDO MBM Technology Ltd., against a number of anti-war protesters, has been delayed by the ‘astonishing’ behaviour of EDO’s lawyer, Mr Tim Lawson-Cruttenden, a High Court judge said last week.

In a preliminary hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday 16th November, Judge Walker expressed ‘grave concerns’ about the EDO representative’s lack of preparation for what had been ordered to be a speedy trial.

An expedited trial had been ordered in April due to the controversial infringement of protesters civil liberties, and human rights made by the interim injunction that has been brought by EDO under the 1997 Protection from Harassment Act.

Judge Walker warned Mr Cruttenden of law firm Lawson-Cruttenden & Co that if the main trial date was lost altogether, the court would have to seriously consider lifting the interim injunction. It has been in place for nearly six months, and has already led to two peaceful protesters being remanded in Lewes prison for alleged breaches of its conditions.

THANK heavens for sensible MPs like Dr Murrison who value civil liberties. Tony Blair is resorting to a time honoured tactic; choose a scapegoat, make everybody hate and fear as much as possible, and then push through a lot of repressive legislation.

NB Andrew Murrison is the Tory MP for Westbury, and votes mostly in line with the policy " No More Terrorism Laws " at the Public Whip

The case for identity cards has been branded "bogus" after an ex-MI5 chief said they might not help fight terror. Dame Stella Rimington has said most documents could be forged and this would render ID cards "useless".

The European Commission said last week it will investigate published reports that the CIA set up secret jails in Eastern Europe to detain high-profile terrorism suspects. The Commission says the governments of the EU's 25 member nations will be informally questioned about possible human rights violations. News media reported also that the group Human Rights Watch "claims records and other evidence point to POLAND and ROMANIA as countries that allowed their territory to be used by the CIA to jail top suspected al-Qaeda captives." We report that HRW knows that from tracing the movements of CIA planes and WE PROVIDE A LIST OF THE 28 PLANES, 8 SHELL COMPANIES, AND SEVERAL CIA-RELATED COMPANIES.

On 22nd November, Bristol City Council will be voting on a motion designed to hinder the Government's controversial ID Cards Bill.

TONY Blair's Government is today reeling after controversial anti-terrorism plans were crushed by MPs. The Prime Minister suffered his first defeat since sweeping to power in 1997 after failing to win support for proposals to lock up suspects for up to 90 days. He sat shaking his head as it was announced his plans had been humiliatingly defeated by 322 votes to 291 ­ a majority of 31. Minutes later MPs backed a compromise move to extend the detention period to 28 days from the present 14.

On the Sunday 6th November the Federation of Teddy Protestors (FTP) staged a protest picnic in Parliament Square in support of their furless friends the Parliament Square Picnickers. The picnic was attended by Teddy affinity groups from across Europe including the Pooh Crew and the Soft Toy Solidarity Movement. All groups are committed to freedom of speech and freedom assembly and agree that the best way to defy the draconian SCOPA (2005) legislation is through direct action. Not content with 'fluffy' protests, a proposal to storm parliament and reclaim the commons was agreed an acted on.

MPs have rejected government proposals to allow police to hold terror suspects without charge for up to 90 days. However, the Commons later backed a 28-day detention amendment by 323 votes to 290. What is your reaction to the MPs’ vote? Send us your comments.

The Sunday Times today carries an article which claims that Identity Cards are likely to cost a monkey (£500) each, with a total cost of £30bn.

The projected costs are detailed in a recent report compiled by the London School of Economics, which has raised its May estimate of £300 per card to take into account the the cost of integrating the scheme’s computers with government databases.

THE cost of introducing a national identity card scheme could rise to almost £30 billion — almost £500 a card, the government will be warned this month. A report by the London School of Economics (LSE), details of which have emerged this weekend, says the cost of integrating the scheme’s computers with government databases will add as much as £10 billion to the college’s previous £18 billion estimate.

I was concerned about the publishing of 31 photos of G8 `suspects` in the local press here in Edinburgh and this is my open letter to the Edinburgh (Lothian and Borders) Police. 9 labelled phots (including one of me) are attached. This letter was also sent to Home Secretary Charles Clarke.

THE police have moved up a gear in their bid to tackle gangs of youths hanging around the Wyvern Theatre. Officers have begun arresting youths who defy a dispersal order designed to stop intimidating groups gathering. The order at Theatre Square came in to force in September and it means groups of two or more teenagers, who police deem are likely to cause intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress to others, can be moved on ­ or face being arrested.

Last Sunday’s Freedom to Protest conference brought together a wide range of grassroots groups concerned about the continuing threat to freedom in the UK. Amongst others present were Gate Gourmet strikers, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, SMASH EDO, Stop Political Terror, Campaign against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC) and of course SchNEWS. Over two hundred gathered, representing eighty groups, to share opinions and experiences. As the state tries to clampdown on all dissent, those it targets are beginning to pull together and realise their common cause.

Friday, Oct 28. Almost 1000 cyclists soon growing to a critical mass of an estimated minimum of 2000 cycled around central London. The meeting point was inside the restricted SOCPA zone in front of the National Film Theatre. The CM moved on to Parliament Square and Downing Street. The samba band was on wheels for the occasion and many were in Halloween attire.

This is the first London Critical Mass ride after participants were informed about possible arrests at future Critical Mass rides. The Metropolitan Police demanded that the 'organisers' give notice of the route in advance

Today, Tuesday 25 October, two peace activists were arrested in Whitehall shortly after 9am for organising an unauthorised ‘bell-ringing’ remembrance ceremony marking the anniversary this week of the Lancet estimate that 100,000 people have died in Iraq of war-related causes. Milan Rai, coordinator of Justice Not Vengeance, became the first person to be arrested as an organiser of an unauthorised demonstration under new legislation governing protests in the vicinity of Parliament. The maximum penalty for being an ‘organiser’ of such a demonstration is a prison term of nearly a year, compared to a maximum fine of £1,000 for being a ‘participant’ in an unauthorised demonstration. All previous arrests connected with the new legislation have been of ‘participants’ rather than organisers.

In a three day High Court hearing (1st-3rd November) as part of the ongoing injunction trial against Brighton peace activists, the UK government will once more face accusations that the Iraq war was illegal. The Court will also decide whether weapons manufacturers in the UK can be held responsible for war crimes committed with the use of their merchandise. The Attorney General’s office has controversially intervened in proceedings to argue that UK foreign policy is not subject to the rule of law because of the special nature of the Royal Prerogative.

Over a dozen people have been arrested so far for *participating* in unauthorised demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament. Now the police are promising to carry out the first arrest of an *organiser* under the new SOCA laws - on Tuesday 25 October.

At 9am on Tuesday 25 October, Justice Not Vengeance plans to hold an unauthorised bell-ringing ceremony opposite Downing Street to mark 100,000 deaths in Iraq since the invasion, despite a police threat to arrest organiser Milan Rai under the new SOCA laws.

HOW much more of our individual freedoms do we have to lose before we as a nation wake up to this dictatorial government? Tony Blair tells us we need more laws to combat terrorism. We all tend to accept this as a fact when in reality there are already 200 anti-terror laws.

It would appear that Derbyshire police is going to use the usual tactic of over policing a peaceful event and hamper anyone who tries to have a lawful protest, despite the organisers liaising with the local police authority over the anti trident work being carried out at Rolls Royce. Derbyshire Police have applied and got a Section 14 order from the local council (who in my opinion could do with a protest against them) and in the latest news blast it would appear that they are limiting the protest to no more than 50 people which if my estimate is correct means there will be 500 police there on the day

Beating off newspaper reports that biometric scans could misidentify up to one in 1,000 users, Home Office Minister Tony McNulty told Sunday's BBC Radio 4 World at One programme that the possibility of errors in one type of scan was precisely why the UK ID card system would be able to check 13 biometrics. Impressed? Confused? Both? Previously the Home Office had shrugged-off suggestions of unreliability by pointing out that three biometrics will be used, fingerprint, iris and facial, but as McNulty continued it became apparent that it's actually 13, if you count fingers individually.

Since the "war on terror" was declared by the US government in 2001, the UK authorities have mounted a sustained attack on human rights, the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.

Their immediate response to 11 September 2001 was to introduce anti-terrorism legislation, even though the UK already had some of the most draconian anti-terrorism laws in the world. Two new Acts were passed, each containing sweeping provisions that contravene human rights law and whose enactment has given rise to serious human rights violations.(1) Then, after the London bombings in July 2005, additional ill-conceived and dangerous measures were proposed. Amnesty International considers that these measures are inconsistent with the UK’s obligations under domestic and international human rights law and that, if enacted, they would lead to serious human rights violations.

... in which Anne Snelgrove (Labour, Swindon South), dutifully followed Blair's wishes and voted in favour of the no-protest zone associated with the Serious Organsied Crime act.

Only a government preparing to become totalitarian would require the new Terror Laws enacted in the United Kingdom. Tony Blair said police need to act on intelligence, without evidence, to protect the law-abiding public from terrorists, criminals and anti-social individuals, but who is going to protect us from brutal police with unprecedented powers?

The game has changed, says Blair, and so must the law, but civil rights were introduced in medieval Britain to ensure a fairer system and these respected statutes have balanced justice and security in this country for eight hundred years. What Blair is proposing is a return to the Dark Ages, when men were caged in dungeons based on rumour, suspicion or lies.

... in which 8 Labour MPs, 2 Lib Dems and 5 Tories debate and vote on the no-protest zone around Parliament. The vote was passed by 8 to 7, with Swindon South's Anne Snelgrove voting with the government, although having nothing to say herself in the debate.

Other MPs were very critical of the Statutory Instrument which defined the boundaries of the no-protest zone, as well as the sections of the SOCPA act which seek to criminalise protest around Parliament, notably David Heath.

The Standing Committee for Delegated Legislation met on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the Designated Area Statutory Instrument. Unfortunately this Committee could, as with all such SI's only vote to Reject or Accept the Statutory Instrument as a whole, and not to amend it. Accordingly, despite some convincing points by the Liberal Democrat David Heath, and the Conservative Edward Garnier, and even from Harry Cohen and Robert Wareing on the Labour side, when it came to a vote, the SI was approved by 8 votes to 7.

Three jurors in the so-called 'ricin trial', whose acquittal of four Algerian terror suspects in April caused deep embarrassment to the government, police and security service, will condemn the government's new terrorism legislation in their first television interviews tonight. It is unusual for jurors to speak to the media after a trial, but they have told The Observer they are furious that a number of the defendants have since been re-arrested and imprisoned without trial.

Last week 600 people were stopped and searched in Brighton under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, during the Labour Party Conference in Brighton. According to the Home Office, “Stop and search under Section 44 is an important tool in the on-going fight against terrorism” and that the use of the powers was “intelligence-led and based on an assessment of the threat against the UK.” But with 600 searches and no terrorists arrested, SchNEWS reckon that’s a pretty poor level of intelligence. So for four days we got a taste of what black and Muslim communities have been experiencing for years.

Government-proposed measures to combat terrorism have been branded "unlawful" and "intolerable" by senior experts. Plans to detain suspects for up to three months and a glorifying terrorism offence were criticised by Law Lord, Lord Lloyd of Berwick and Lord Steyn. In an interview for the BBC's Panorama, Lord Steyn, a former Law Lord, warned people's liberty was being endangered.

Jenny Jones has sent the following letter to the Commissioner of the Met Police, regarding Critical Mass. She and Darren Johnson will attend the next ride to show solidarity with fellow cyclists. They hope that others will do the same.

LABOUR is forced to apologise as an 82-year-old activist is thrown out of their conference and restrained under anti-terrorist legislation because he shouted "nonsense" at Jack Straw's defence of British policy in Iraq. Was Walter Wolfgang's treatment a small mistake or the Labour Party showing its true colours?

On Friday 30th September, those who joined London's monthly Critical Mass ride, found themselves being issued with letters from the Metropolitan Police, threatening arrests at future Critical Mass rides, unless the 'organisers' give notice of the route at least six days in advance, and warning that the police can impose restrictions on the rides once the advance notice has been given.The letter stated that the police are reviewing their 'policy' towards critcal mass

Read Letter to Met Police Commissioner from Jenny Jones; Green Party Member of the London Assembly, The Mayor’s Road Safety Ambassador and Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

A callout has been issued to make October's London Critical Mass the biggest one yet.

All politicians who seek to justify repressive legislation claim that they are responding to an unprecedented threat to public order. And all politicians who cite such a threat draft measures in response which can just as easily be used against democratic protest. No act has been passed over the past 20 years with the aim of preventing antisocial behaviour, disorderly conduct, trespass, harassment and terrorism that has not also been deployed to criminalise a peaceful public engagement in politics. When Walter Wolfgang was briefly detained by the police after heckling the foreign secretary last week, the public caught a glimpse of something that a few of us have been vainly banging on about for years.

It appears that participants in the the long established monthly London Critical Mass cycle rides, which have been happening on the last Friday of the month, every month for at least the last 10 years, are now being threatened with the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act Designated Area powers.

Tony Blair has apologised to an 82-year-old party member who was thrown out of the party's annual conference for heckling foreign secretary Jack Straw. Walter Wolfgang was led out by stewards after shouting "nonsense" during Mr Straw's speech defending Iraq policy. [editor's note - he was also arrested under the Terrorism Act]. The Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast: "I am really sorry about it, it shouldn't have happened."

Is heckling a sign of a healthy democracy? How should the Labour Party have dealt with the situation? Send us your comments.

POLICE are to "stop and search" students outside a Swindon school in the latest blitz on graffiti. Any pupil found to be carrying a marker pen or spray paint will be arrested. Offenders who attend Greendown School in Grange Park may even be forced into after-school graffiti-busting gangs.

Newly-released letters reveal why the Met Police commissioner delayed the start of an independent investigation into a fatal shooting by police. In a letter to the Home Office, Sir Ian Blair says he refused the Independent Police Complaints Commission access to the crime scene, at Stockwell Tube, where Jean Charles de Menezes died. He says the Met's counter-terrorism investigation had to take priority.

The Home Office released the letter under the Freedom of Information Act.

Mr Menezes, a 27-year-old electrician, was shot dead the day after the failed 21 July bombings in London.

An 82-year-old activist thrown out of the Labour party conference for heckling Jack Straw has returned to the venue to a hero's welcome. Walter Wolfgang, from London, was cheered as he held up his security pass - confiscated by stewards on Wednesday. He said a "small mistake" had been rectified - unlike the "big mistake we made in invading Iraq".

Headlines about an 82-year old Jewish escapee from the Nazis being manhandled out of Labour conference for daring to yell "nonsense" at the foreign secretary is probably not the way Tony Blair wanted to end this rally. But, for many regular conference visitors, this was far from a surprise. Ever-tightening security and a distinctly intolerant attitude towards "interruptions", as the prime minister called them, meant this was a headline waiting to happen.

Today the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT TAX WASTERS) found themselves faced by a new enemy. Local peacenik pensioners took offence to the FIT's camera pointing at Stockwell station. The FIT were trying to photograph the speakers at the demo.

The Government's big brother road show came to Bristol today, but was met with a small but forceful group of protesters. Andrew Burnham MP was sent with a crew of assistants, PR people and a minder to propagandise for the government. The stall, set up oin The Galleries allowed people to "have a go" at biometrics, and informed the general public about how easy it would make surveill... erm... good things.

Shortly after the very junior minister had courted the media, activists from No2ID had unfurled banners and began requesting to speak to the minister. After a short time, one of the activists managed to get to talk to the minister. Reports of the conversation was that it went something like this:
- So, how much will the project cost?
erm
- So, how much will the project cost?
erm
- Okay, an easier question... Would ID cards have stopped the London bombings in July 2005?
erm
- Okay, have you read your own bill?
erm

Allo allo allo - is that an RS-232 cable, sah?

If you think that the police's profiling of terror suspects is something that only happens to other people - think again. Today's panicky Plod doesn't seem to be very discriminating at all. And you could be next.

Techie David Mery has published an account of being arrested, and having his computers confiscated, because he happened to be wearing a rucksack on the London Underground the day after the 27/7 bombings.

HAVING read, and become incensed by the article in the Swindon Advertiser about the dispersal order served on the gathering of young people in Theatre Square, I felt I had to write to defend a section of our society which all too often is demonised and discriminated against for no other reason than age.

YOUNGSTERS gave an open show of defiance by gathering outside the Wyvern Theatre on the day a dispersal order came into force. The order means groups of two or more teenagers, who police deem are likely to cause intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress to others, can be moved on ­ or face being arrested.

But more than 30 youngsters were gathered in groups outside the theatre yesterday afternoon. And they insisted they were doing nothing wrong.

WILTSHIRE Police is too small to cope with the future threats of terrorism, extremism and organised crime, the Home Secretary has been warned. Speculation is now rife that the force will be merged with Hampshire and Dorset to form a south west strategic force.

A report by Her Majesty's Inspecto-rate of Constabulary (HMIC), released yesterday, is expected to trigger a huge merger programme with the number of UK forces being significantly reduced. It states that forces with fewer than 4,000 officers fall below the standards expected in protecting the public.

With only 1,228 Wiltshire Police is far below the threshold set by the HMIC and now seems almost certain to be shaken up.

THE merging of Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire police forces is long overdue, according to a Swindon councillor. A report published on Friday said Wiltshire Constabulary was too small to cope with terrorism and organised crime, leading to speculation the force would merge with Dorset and Hampshire.

A DISPERSAL order is now in place at Theatre Square, outside the Wyvern Theatre. Police have put notices around the area, which explains what the order means. The order will be in place in this area from today until March 16, next year.

It means if a member of the public is harassed, intimidated, alarmed or distressed by a group of two or more people then the group can be removed from the area by a police officer. It is an offence to fail to comply with the order and an arrest can be made without a warrant.

The areas affected include: Theatre Square, The Cenotaph, both Wyvern Car Parks, both pedestrian walkways and stairways and the pedestrian access routes to all of these areas.

Reed Elsevier is the current owner of Spearhead, the company organising DSEI. Following on from a protest at Reed's Oxford offices last week, a group of us paid its London head office a visit on Thursday.

This was a fairly non-aggressive protest (on our part) with a banner and people leafleting passers-by and Reed employees (several of whom were shocked to learn that their company, mainly a publishing group, was so connected with arms sales). An attempt to get into the building to talk to employees was largely unsuccessful.

The Met were out in force, obviously having nothing better to do with their time than harrass and repeatedly photograph people handing out leaflets (the camera loves our faces...). One cop was trying to get names and addresses from people claiming the anti-social behaviour act forces you to give your details. Can anyone confirm/deny this (with chapter and verse if possible)? What would the consequences of refusal be?

I went to Dsei this year and in 2003 and I can say yes I was at first disappointed at the number of UK citizens willing to demonstrate (Fluffy or in direct action). However given the disgraceful way I have been treated by the front line police and covert policing operations it is no wonder people feel harassed and intimidated. There has been and I believe will be in future years a concerted effort to discourage peaceful protest and direct action. And if they subject Newham to another exhibition in 2007 I will be back. My experiences have only made me more determined.

"I've given talks about the US anti-war movement and I've given talks about Halliburton and I've given talks about non-violent social change, you know peaceful ways of doing this like [Martin Luther] King and Ghandi, but I've never done anything which they're trying to allude to."

The Australian Government has charged an American peace activist who was removed from Australia yesterday $11,000 for sending him back to the US. Activist Scott Parkin was arrested in Melbourne on Saturday after intelligence agency ASIO deemed him a risk to national security.

I WOULD like to comment on the recent article in Saturday's newspaper concerning the ban on kids hanging around at the Wyvern.
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At least when we are at Wyvern we are out of the way. People have been coming up to the Wyvern to meet with their friends for over 20 years. It won't stop now, we won't be moved on now, we'll fight to keep as our space, every step of the way.

A TYPING error on the dispersal order for Swindon's Theatre Square has delayed it coming into force. A spelling mistake on a road name has held up the order, which will now come into force on Monday.
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It means groups of two or more teenagers who police deem are likely to cause intimidation, harassment, alarm or distress to others can be moved on. And if the youngsters refuse to obey the officers, they can be arrested.

I was deeply disturbed to read in the Gazette that the British National Party had held an event in Chippenham. Just recently we marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the victory over fascism. The war memorial in Chippenham marks those brave men and women of our town who helped bring down the evil of fascism.

I believe the BNP is a fascist, racist party and the thought of these people holding such an event in our town, or anywhere, is quite sickening.

A CHECHEN couple who face being deported say the birth of their daughter has been a ray of light during dark months. But the Home Office says the new addition to the Eltuyev family makes no difference and they must still return to their homeland.

As previously reported in the Adver Islan and Zarina Eltuyev and their two children came to Swindon seeking refuge from the Russian security forces in Chechnya in 2003.

HOTEL owner Geoff Lijka is horrified that his premises were used for a charity evening organised by the British National Party. The right-wing organisation, which believes in repatriation and stringent immigration control, kept its identity secret when making the booking for a Patriots' Evening at The Angel Hotel in Chippenham.

Mr Lijka, whose family is originally from the Ukraine, said: "I would not knowingly associate myself with them or their views or their politics," he said. "If they had come and told us they were the BNP, we would most categorically have said no. But how were we to know if it was booked under an individual's name?"
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The party-goers raised £60 for local charities, dividing the proceeds between the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Wiltshire Association for the Blind. The Wildlife Trust, however, sent the cheque back.

Seeing the story on your website today I can't help but feel very badly for the Eltuyev family. If their worst fears of deportation come true then a possible suggestion would be for them to try the Matanuska-Susitna Valley here in Alaska. We have a quite large Russian population in this area, with Russian spoken in many of the schools. Might be an off-the-wall idea but it sounds like this family can use all the help they can get.

A FOOTBALL team has embraced a Chechnyan family facing deportation. Islan and Zarina Eltuyev fled their homeland to start a new life in Swindon after claiming to have been persecuted by the Russian security forces.
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As our picture shows, the family has been adopted by Ferndale Rodbourne YCFC. Andrew Ray, manager of Ferndale Rodbourne YCFC, reckons the lad has a real eye for the game.

Tony Blair recently informed television viewers that the rules for dealing with terrorism had changed. Those rules since time immemorial are encapsulated in the words "know your enemies" which this Government is incapable of doing. As a result of its foreign policy the people of this island now face a prolonged spell of terrorist threats and untold damage to the economy.

In which Sussex Police outdo themselves by exposing their cosy relationship with corporate bomb makers EDO MBM and the shamefaced city council actually help Smash EDO to go on protesting by stopping the illegal eviction of the peace camp.

Another interesting day in Brighton.

SWINDON'S England international boxer Jamie Cox will fight the corner of a Chechen family who say they face death if they are sent home. As revealed in yesterday's Adver, Islan and Zarina Eltuyev fled their home in Chechnya in fear of Russian security forces.
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Islan, 39, who is not allowed to work by law as his asylum application was rejected, has been helping out as a volunteer at the Walcot Boys' boxing club. Harry Scott, 64, who runs the club wants Islan to stay and so does Walcot southpaw Jamie.
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Now, local anti-deportation campaigner Andy Newman, who has supported others in Swindon in similar circumstances, has taken their side and wants the people of Swindon to make sure that the family are allowed to stay here. He said: "Swindon has always been a welcoming place for those fleeing atrocities and it is something that we should always be proud of.

Following on from the heavily policed demo in Brighton on Saturday, activists are now undertaking daily actions as part of the drive to rid peace-messenger city Brighton of its nasty little arms factory.

Yesterday a group arrived laden with olives, hummous, breads,salads and fruit for a lunch against the arms trade. On arrival they were met by Guardian Guards head goon "Darth", who served each with a copy of the interim injunction. A placard was set up offering EDO employess the opportunity to stop making bombs and to start breaking bread, an offer which seems to have been declined by all. Activists and security were somewhat bemused by the arrival of a strang apparition in rain wear, yellow gloves and a tiger mask, who drifted past anonymously, after being served up with a copy of the injunction. Later a similarly clad figure appeared over the brow of the hill and stood with activists.

Darth then went over to the "tiger" and proceeded to smack the mast, a clear assault witnessed by several. When the tiger attempted to make a complaint of assault, the police in the van who had been present wound up their window.

WHEN Zarina Eltuyev found her four-year-old son curled up in a corner and rocking back and forth she knew she had to do something. Her eldest child had just watched as his parents were dragged out of bed, marched out to the garden and beaten by Russian security forces. Zarina was held by the hair and hit in the face as six armed men laid into her husband, Islan.

And all this was because they wrongly believed Islan was a terrorist. That was back in 2003. By May that year the family had fled their homeland to seek refuge in England. But now with their asylum application rejected they face being sent back to the place where they left in fear of their lives.

Around forty Anti arms trade protestors were prevented from marching through Brighton today (saturday 13th August) by over 150 officers, some in public order gear with dogs. The camapaigners were trying to draw attention to local arms dealers EDO MBM.
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The march left Churchill Square (Brighton's main shopping mall) with intention of marching to the Level. Police (some drafted in from the Met) blocked North Road and with a large audience of shoppers and bystanders attacked the crowd. Four arrests followed. One arrest of an eighty year old man visibly shocked the general public.

The march starts a week of action against EDO MBM, for more info visit http://www.smashedo.org.uk

See also videos of the arrests at http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/08/321142.html

The bomb is ticking somewhere in central London. The evacuation cannot be completed in time, and hundreds or thousands may die. Scotland Yard has a man in custody. His name is Yusuf. His interrogators think he knows where the bomb is and how to defuse it, but they have read him his rights and he’s not talking. He wants his lawyer. “Surely it’s time to ask the prime minister for permission to use a little torture to save a lot of lives”, someone exclaims.
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Decency is genuinely a good idea. When we treat others with decency, they become far less likely to wish us harm, and far more likely to tell us what they know about the extreme plans of others. Torture is indeed uncivilised; it is also unwise.

A video of the mass act of definace at Parliament Square, including speeches from Brian Haw and others, rebel clowns, and the arbitrary arrests. There's another video at http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/08/320721.html

A gaggle of nine clowns from the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army went to Parliament Square yesterday not to protest the new law outlawing such protests. The new law, which we didn't break is more correctly termed The Section 132 Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Well, we're clowns so there's no way we could engage in Serious Organised Crime so of course we didn't protest.

Around 100 people demonstrated outside the Houses of Parliament for two hours. Five people were arrested as police tried to enforce the new law preventing assembly outside the building. Many of the protestors came from the anti-war movement, with Brian Haw and his still legal demonstrations to back up their voices. The police stood around watching the illegal demonstration for an hour. After this the police moved in en mass leafletting people either demonstrating or just sitting on the green enjoying the sunny day. They then proceeded to arrest 5 people - to cries of "Shame on You". The demonstration continued after the arrests, finishing two hours after it began with a final sit down.

An essay on the slide into a police state following the bombings in London in July, followed by a long debate on conspiracy theorists.

a peaceful protest against the new legisltion that makes all unauthorized protests illegal within 1km parameter of parliament square ended with the results of five arrests by the police...thanks for protecting us from these criminals!!

I was so scared and intimidated by the unruly mob gathered in Parliament Square that I fled fearing for my own safety. As the pictures below prove this gang of would-be terrorists were on the brink of probably doing something. Today UK Indymedia is proud to announce the launch of it's campaign to get the brave bobbies that tackled them awarded George Crosses!

An anti-war protester who has maintained a 24-hour-a-day vigil outside parliament for four years can stay because of a mistake in the drafting of a new law designed to stop him and other protesters from demonstrating there.

Three judges decided by a 2-1 majority in the high court that legislation brought in to control demonstrations around the Houses of Parliament did not apply to Brian Haw.

Brighton & Hove City Council voted for an amendment of a motion yesterday condemning warmongers EDO/MBM's trade as 'immoral' and 'unwelcome'. The original motion proposed by Green Councillors was eviscerated by spineless neo-Labour Council Leader Ken Bodfish and sidekick Don Turner who removed key references to EDO and the arms trade. The amendment was opposed by the 6 Green councillors and a handful of Labour - full motion below with amended (removed) sections in capitals.

TERRORISTS will never change our way of life, advises the Queen. Didn't she recently give her government the go-ahead for ID cards? As for way of life, her way of life is totally alien to 99 per cent of the population. Get on public transport and take risks like the rest of us. Perhaps then respect might be restored to a moribund monarchy.

FOUR G8 protesters may sue police after claims they were psychologically tortured and mistreated while in custody in Glasgow. They say that officers at Baird Street woke them up every hour as a form of torture, placed them in dirty cells and fed them sub-standard food and water that left them sick.

Jaya Sacca, a long term peace activist was remanded in Lewes Prison this afternoon (JULY 14TH) by District Judge Arnold. On Wednesday 13th July he was ‘arrested’ and handcuffed by members of Guardian Security hired by arms dealers EDO MBM. He was ‘detained’ by the security firm for allegedly stepping onto the road which constitutes the ‘no protest zone’. At the time no police were at the scene. Mr Sacca is also alleged to have assaulted one of the security guards when four of them ‘arrested’ him as attempted to leave the area.

The terms of the injunction as enforced by Sussex Police mean that it is illegal for protestors to film the security guards no matter what the provocation. One protester Paul Leniowski has already been remanded in Lewes Prison by Judge Arnold for three days for attempting to film Guardian Security.

Chair of the Green Party Hugo Charlton commenting on police action at the protesters camp in Stirling said: "Apart from reliable accounts of protesters being "cordoned" off without legal justification there would also appear to have been as substantial mistreatment of prisoners by Scottish police arresting demonstrators. Also there have been other reports of police confiscating medical supplies from the volunteer medics teams providing support on all anti G8 protests."

After the speeches, the march left the park and moved slowly and noisily through the narrow roads, hemmed in by police for much of the way.

...And then it met the end of the road. The designated route turning off to the right and then back towards the town centre. This was as close to our glorious world leaders that any of us were to get. One couldn't help thinking that the police had carefully engineered it as a flash point. There were hundreds of them tooled up in riot gear with rows of mounted police to their rear – a solid wall of oppression behind a relatively flimsy wire mesh fence. They looked so hard and threatening that they were effectively goading the few hoodies who gradually accumulated in a small eddy close to the fence while the main flow protesters continued round the corner. On the pavement on the inside of the corner, mainstream journos had formed a dense camp, watching and waiting for trouble. After a little while, one of these journos exclaimed excitedly “Great, the hoodies are doing something!” They were lifting, bending, separating and flattening the fence panels until eventually the police line was exposed along most of it's width. Then suddenly and with no warning the police charged. They screamed abuse and roared like a pack of stampeding elephants, viciously pushing quite obviously innocent bystanders back along the road. At least one of the riot police was in a nearly psychotic state, repeatedly and pointlessly battering two traumatised women against the fence near to me with his shield until a combination of me yelling “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” and one of his colleagues physically restraining him reduced him to a calmer state.

On Monday 27th June the police raided a residential property in Bristol and seized an Indymedia server and other computer equipment. They also arrested one person for incitement to criminal damage under common law. That person has since been released on bail. We see this police action as an attack on the freedom of speech and journalistic independence.

The Government's own information commissioner, Richard Thomas, attacked the plans for identity cards. He described the scheme as excessive and disproportionate.

He maintains that the government is planning an unnecessary data trail on every individual that reaches far beyond requirements.

The ID card and its sinister central database is opposed by civil rights organisations such as Liberty, and our local MP, James Gray.

Faced with such widespread opposition we can only hope that the government will retreat. Unfortunately, hope may not be enough. I urge readers to register their dissent at www.no2id.net

In Brighton magistrates today Paul was rebailed till a committal hearing at the same place in July 29th. There a trial date will be announced. It will take place before a jury in Lewes Crown Court. It is likely that the trial will take place about six weeks after that date in around mid september.

The maximum penalty for a breach of a High Court interim injunction under section 3 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is five years imprisonment.

No political activist or demonstrator has ever been convicted of this offence to this day.

Only a handfull of prosecutions have ever been brought against demonstrators or protestors under an harassment act injunction breach.Pauls alleged breach was to film a 'protected person'. No violence or threat of violence was alleged to have been commited by Paul. He was acting as a legal observer on the day at a peaceful demonstartion and the men he filmed did not identify themselves as protected under the injunction.

Since the attack on the twin towers, in which many innocent Americans were killed, we have been told that we are engaged in a war against terrorism that threatens our way of life and our liberties. From that moment on we have been asked to adopt a whole range of measures that pose what many believe could be a greater threat to those very liberties and to our way of life.
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For example, under the arrangements that Britain has with the US that allow us access to their nuclear technology in the Trident programme, America has long insisted that it should have access to all our intelligence material. That means the ID database will be automatically available to it. Given the number of leaks that occur and the value of the database, the possibility that it could fall into the hands of others for their private commercial purposes cannot be ruled out - with all the opportunities for abuse that would make possible.

Thursday 2nd June 2005 saw peace campaigner Brian Haw clock up his 4th anniversary in London’s Parliament Square. Brain has been on a one-man 24/7 vigil for Iraq since June 2nd 2001 and while at first he counted days now he counts years. How much longer can he go on? “As long as it takes.” is what Brian, a father of 7, says.
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I myself saw Brian on Wednesday May 25th 2005 and I took some photos, which I attach. I asked Brian for a quote and what he would say to people who were downhearted at not being able to stop the war and are now discouraged from further action.

Brian said: “We’re discouraged? What’s it like for people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you realise they’re being wiped out like the Native Americans and WE are responsible, just like the people of Hitler’s Germany were. It’s an awful responsibility being American or British as our governments are committing genocide; what are we doing to stop it?”

He went on: “Personally I can’t live with it, I can’t see how anyone can who is aware. Are we aware or do we have our head in the sand as nations are exterminated in our name – each one of us is a unique part of the answer. What am I doing? What more can I do? We shouldn’t have gone home and sat down after February 15th 2003. We have to get up now or answer for it, we are each responsible, Love, Brian.”

8 people were violently arrested at the Big Demo at arms dealers EDO MBM in Brighton on Tuesday. 6 are from Brighton, 1 from London and 1 from Manchester.

This was the first big demo since the (very watered down) injunction was granted, and the police wasted no time in singling out an 80 year old man and dragging him accross the street where three cops pinned him down, face on the tarmac, with their knees painfully in his back. A further arrest was made and then the police formed a line and pushed en masse into the crowd of around 40 protesters *inside* the designated protest area.

Interestingly no-one was arrested for breaching the injunction but were instead fitted up with 'wilfully obstructing a public highway', section 5 for causing harassment, alarm and distress, and 'assaulting a police
officer'.

Pre-trial hearings have been scheduled for 13-15 June at Brighton Magistrates and all the arrestees have bail conditions preventing them entering Home Farm Road.

The "new" Bill was published on 25th May. It is to be found here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/...

The changes are trivial. As ever, the Home Office is ignoring its critics. It has not even had the decency to change what the House of Lords Constitution Committee called its "misleading" title. However, NO2ID has been well prepared for the battle this time. We wrote a letter to every MP immediately after the election, tailored to each member's individual circumstances and providing a summary analysis of the issues. We are in touch with a lot of new people. We are gaining momentum, and the Government seems to be losing some.

David Jones, the Managing Director of the company is no doubt looking for some value for money which is why, yesterday at the arms dealers premises, the police were drafted up to the factory in huge numbers to deal with a group of 65 protestors of good nature who had nothing but peaceful protest in mind. It was clear that the police had nothing but violence and arrests planned for their day.

A controversial High Court interim injunction brought against anti-war protesters, on behalf of arms dealers EDO MBM (a unit of EDO CORP) is now in force in Brighton, and could be a danger to the life and liberty of any member of the public wishing to peacefully protest outside the factory on Home Farm Road. In defiance of the injunction, a large demonstration is planned by protest group Smash EDO on Tuesday (31st May).

If enforced by the police the interim injunction will require demonstrators at the event dubbed ‘The Big One’ to risk their lives by standing close to a dangerous cliff edge in order to avoid arrest and imprisonment as ‘stalkers’ for simply standing on the public highway.

We now learn that ID cards are going to cost £100 each, which will have to be paid for, one way or another, by us taxpayers. As an engineer working in the security industry I am very sceptical whether the technology will even work. ID cards are about as good an idea as the poll tax or the Millennium Dome.

The government's faith in ID cards to solve all manner of social ills continues to grow. They have been sold to us over the last three years as, variously, protection against illegal immigration, benefit fraud and terrorism. Last week, the Prime Minister added identity theft - the hijacking of private data for criminal ends.

The government's contention is that huge savings would be made and national security enhanced if we would only agree to carry microchips that, when checked against a national database, prove our identity.

The surrender of privacy and the cost required by such a scheme might just about be worth the supposed benefits if two conditions are met: we must have confidence in the state to use our data wisely, and we must have faith in the state to make the system work. We have neither.

The government's plans to introduce identity cards were dealt a body blow last night after it emerged the true cost of the scheme could top £18 billion, more than triple the official estimate. The figure has been calculated by experts at the London School of Economics, who have spent months producing one of the most authoritative analyses of the scheme.

The cost of buying a new identity card could rise to £100, the Government has admitted as it presses ahead with the scheme. The Government has put the running cost of the scheme at £5.8bn over its first 10 years - nearly twice earlier projections.
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Urging MPs to back the scheme, Mr Blair said: "The abuse of identity actually costs this country billions of pounds a year. We have the new biometric technology. We have in any event to move to new biometric passports as a part of other changes happening around the world."

But Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said the cost of the scheme was spiralling "out of control". He said: "Support for these plans will drop off very quickly when people realise the costs involved. The failure rates in the biometrics pilot are astonishing. The Government is spending our money on a half-baked scheme, based on half-baked technology."

David Davis, the shadow Home Secretary, said: "When the ID Cards Bill was introduced before the election, we decided it would be right to give the Government the opportunity to meet the concerns we raised. They have had six months to do so but today said the Bill was, in essence, the same one as before."

The government's identification cards bill, reintroduced yesterday, ought to be defeated by parliament - but it will not be. True, Labour's majority has shrunk from 165 to 67, and 19 Labour MPs voted against the bill in the last parliament. But some of the Labour rebels lost their seats in the election and, more seriously, the Conservative party is deeply divided. At three separate stages of the bill in the last parliament, Tory MPs voted for it (on second reading), abstained (on third reading) and voted against (when it came back from the Lords). This is one reason why the government promptly reintroduced the bill, to take advantage of the disarray within Conservative ranks.

The Government assures us ID cards are for security, I think Hitler said something like, "It is easy to take away the freedoms from people, just tell them they will be more secure". In Blair's England I worry more about going into hospital, for a minor operation than I do about a threat from Al Qaeda.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke is to unveil the government's latest plans for compulsory ID cards.

Mr Clarke acknowledged genuine worries had been raised but insisted the new plans answered concerns raised by shadow home secretary David Davis.

The Liberal Democrats and some Labour MPs are also opposed to the scheme for civil liberty reasons.

Do you welcome the latest plans for compulsory ID cards? Do you think the cards will help with identity fraud? Or are they an infringement of civil liberties? Send us your comments.

Top Greens have warned that Government ID card plans, "open up a Pandora's box of potential civil liberties abuses" and have joined a nationwide campaign calling on the Prime Minister to scrap ID card legislation , following Charles Clarke's unveiling of the latest Identity Cards bill today.

Green Party Principal Speakers Caroline Lucas MEP and Keith Taylor have criticised the Government's "fundamentally flawed" £5bn ID cards scheme, - creates a National Identity Register containing at least 50 pieces of information on each individual - as "another move towards creating a surveillance state". They have signed a national "No2ID Cards" petition, calling on the Prime Minister to immediately cease all further development of National ID cards and the National Identity Register

Bristol resident Dylan Thomas claims that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers have been used against him because of his anti-war campaigning. This interview discusses the alleged use of RIPA against this anti-war protestor and the sort of activities that gave rise to him being targetted with RIPA. It is not everyday that you get to interview a dead Welsh poet.

Children with autism and other serious psychological conditions are being targetted by the government's controversial anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos), according to mental health charities and professionals.

In one case in the South West, a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome, an autistic disorder, was given an Asbo which stated he was not to stare over his neighbours' fence into their garden.

The young man concerned had no previous criminal convictions, but if he breached the order by 'continuing to stare' he faced a custodial sentence.

Today, anti-war and civil rights activists, including a samba band, will descend on the peaceful central London site of Grey's Inn Square to highlight issues surrounding the war and erosion of human rights in the UK. The focus of their peaceful and lawful protest is lawyer Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden who has controversially made his name through using the "Stalker's Act" to protect companies from protesters. One of his clients, the weapon's manufacturer EDO MBM, who are based in Brighton, have recently been in the High Court using the act to take out an injunction against campaigners who are seeking to end the companies dealings in the arms trade.

The activists are protesting in order to show solidarity with the campaigners against EDO and also to highlight what they perceive as a threat to the fundamental rights to protest through the use of the injunctions under the Protection from Harassment Act.

THE Prime Minister is today expected to embark on a collision course with disgruntled Labour backbenchers as he revives plans for identity cards. The highly controversial biometric cards are expected to form the centrepiece of the Queen's Speech.
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But left-wing activist Andy Newman, who is secretary of the Swindon Stop The War Coalition and Socialist Unity camdidate in this month's General Election in the North Swindon constituency said: "There is not a single crime that it would solve, and it could lead to more crime because within months forged cards would be available."

A district judge has refused to impose an Anti-social Behaviour Order (Asbo) on a veteran peace campaigner for protesting at a US listening base. But grandmother Lindis Percy has been electronically tagged and ordered to stay indoors during the evenings. Police and the Ministry of Defence applied for the Asbo after Mrs Percy, 63, of Hull, was convicted of five offences relating to her protests.

Hints were given today of the new national uniform to be announced in full by the government later in the year. Whilst politicians have been characteristically cagey about exactly what the soon to be compulsory uniform will entail, they have made clear what will not be included in next seasons uniform collection. Offending items struck off the “legally permitted clothing list” include the notorious “hoody” (“street” language for a sweatshirt with a hood) and “baseball caps” (tight fitting hats with peaks/visors protruding from front and known on the street simply as “caps”).

On April 30th a funeral procession for civil liberties made an appearance at the annual May Day march and rally organised by Lancaster and Morecambe TUC. Appropriately, Lancaster’s May Day this year took place under the theme of civil liberties, but most used this platform to promote various political parties, with the exception of the anti-war contingent who used the occasion to point out the decline of our civil liberties under the current government. A solemn procession donned the orange boiler suits, black masks and chains which are synonymous with Guantanamo detainees, and bore signs listing the civil rights which are under attack: habeas corpus, the right to know the charges against you, trial by jury, legal representation, protection from torture, privacy (a reference to ID cards), the right to protest, and the right to asylum. Led by the Grim Reaper, they symbolised the impending death of civil liberties in the UK.

A new report on the impact of the war on terrorism on civil liberties should set alarm bells ringing around the world of journalism, says the International Federation of Journalists today. The IFJ, the world's largest journalists' group has chosen World Press Freedom Day 2005 to launch its 56-page assessment of how civil liberties and free expression are being sacrificed by democratic states in the name of security. "The response by governments to the threat of terrorism is out of all proportion," says the report. "The war on terrorism amounts to a devastating challenge to the global culture of human rights and civil liberties established almost 60 years ago."

The report, produced jointly by the IFJ and the civil liberties group Statewatch, says:

a.. Media and independent journalism suffer in a "pervasive atmosphere of paranoia" which is leading to dangerous levels of self-censorship
b.. Dissent inside and outside media is being restricted
c.. Fundamental rights to a fair trial are routinely violated
d.. Governments are covertly creating massive databanks for surveillance of their citizens
e.. New international rules are being agreed in a secret process of "policy laundering"

IMC feature on the arms dealer EDO/MBM's attempt to use anti-stalking legislation to effectively ban protest at their premses.

After their High Court appearance earlier in the month, and the adjournment then, 10 EDO activists where again at the High Court on Friday the 22nd of April to have their case heard. Representatives of the Arms Manufacturer EDO/MBM technologies have sought an injunction to effectively prevent protests outside their premises in Brighton. The proposed injunction would prevent any artificial noise or amplification devices from being in the “exclusion zone”. This effectively amounts to a private corporation buying its own private martial laws enforceable by the police.

Following an adjournment on Monday April 25th defendants from the Brighton anti-war Smash Edo campaign have been told that judgement on any interim injunction against them under the 1997 Protection From Harassment Act will be heard tomorrow Friday 29th April at 2pm in the Royal Courts Of Justice, The Strand, London.

Cadiz, Spain — Do people who peacefully protested against the illegal war in Iraq deserve to be branded criminals and thrown in jail? Prosecutors in Spain think so and want to lock up five Greenpeace activists. For four years.

Judge Gross yesterday deferred judgement on the injunction being sought by lawyers Lawson-Cruttenden at the High Court on behalf of Brighton war-mongers Edo/MBM. After striking out some of the draconian restrictions applied for Gross stated that judgement wouldn't be 'tomorrow or the day after'. No conditions apply meanwhile.

“I reasonably believe that it may result in serious disruption to the life of the community or that the purpose of the persons organising the public assembly is intended to intimidate others to do or not to do something they have a right.” - Assistant Chief Constable John Donlon of Thames Valley Police, imposing conditions on the peace march and rally around Brize Norton on 23rd April 2005.

Report and photos

After misusing the Prevention of Terrorism Act to intimidate a handful of people keeping vigil outside US Spy base Menwith Hill the Ministry of Defence Police are now trying to use an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) to restrict the freedom to protest of one woman and a flag.
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Having been found guilty of 5 offences (1 x 'obstruction of the highway' and 4 x 'obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty') Robert Moore (Crown Prosecutor) made an application, said to be on behalf of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency and North Yorkshire Police, for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against Lindis Percy.

GREEN Euro-MP Caroline Lucas and Brighton and Hove City Councillor Keith Taylor have warned home secretary Charles Clarke that attempts to ban peaceful protests outside a Brighton-based arms manufacturer could be in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Their comments came in a letter expressing concern after arms manufacturer EDO/MDM – which makes bomb-release mechanisms for F-16 and Hawk jets used in Iraq - sought a High Court injunction banning peaceful protest outside its Brighton premises.

Smash EDO and 10 individuals were in the High Court, London today to resist the injunction being sought by corporate war whores EDO MBM*.

Following the 70-strong noise demo at EDO's factory yestarday and later march round Brighton in defence of the right to protest, the case was predictably adjourned but unexpectedly WITHOUT any restrictions on freedom to protest in the form of an interim injunction - another small vitory following the granting of legal aid on appeal.

We were on these demos to clearly show that we will not be bowed by this attempt to crush us. The company, clearly cannot tell the difference between peaceful protest and acts of vandalism since they've merge the two to make it look like some evil campaign of intimidation against them. At the same time they use unethical legal 'techniques' and a dodgy 'no burden of proof' law to harass and intimidate the vast majority of decent people who go up to express their displeasure at the fact that some people make their living making things that kill people.

The proposed injunction will restrict protest outside the bomb manufacturer’s headquarters to two and a half hours on a Thursday, providing there are less than ten protestors and they make no amplified noise.

Nine individuals named on the injunction and one other representing the campaign are contesting both the evidence and the legal power of the injunction.

The defendants are seeking an adjournment as they have only had just under three weeks to examine evidence that it has taken EDO/MBM and their solicitors a year to accumulate. Despite this the evidence mainly consists of hearsay and spurious connections to the animal rights movement, which has been used to attack the campaign by selective release to sections of the press.

"A company which proudly boasts of its expertise in the delivery of laser guided bombs is complaining about noise, damage and harassment. Can it be the cases that people thick skinned enough to make money from the slaughter of Iraqi civilians are genuinely upset about a demonstration on their own doorstep? Surely this must be joke. But no, oblivious to irony, Brighton’s favourite warmongers EDO/MBM Technologies Ltd are seeking an injunction under the Prevention of Harassment Act 1997 to restrain anti-war activists from protesting outside their HQ and factory on Home Farm Rd, Moulsecoomb Brighton. Thirteen individuals and two organisations SMASH EDO and BOMBS OUT OF BRIGHTON are named on the summons to the High Court on April 14th."

"I am sending this as a matter of urgency concerning an issue that could have serious implications for some 14 named individuals, myself and colleagues, approximately 5000 people of Brighton and Hove and at least one but potentially 4 or 5 local councillors."

UK, 2 April 2005. For the first time, a wide coalition of groups participated in a UK-wide, decentralised, but synchronised action day for a radical and uncompromising "no" to immigration controls, following a call for a European day of action for free movement and the right to stay.

People in Birmingham, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, Oxford and Canterbury were out in the streets simultaneously and made clear that they don't think what the Tories think.

For the first time, people with very different political cultures had mobilised together for free movement: the National Coalition of Anti-deportation Campaigns and the campaigns against detention centers along with committees to defend asylum seekers, migrant and refugee support and community groups, black and asian groups, direct action groups, trade unions, noborder activists and people from social centres.

In Europe, demos and actions were announced in 41 cities and 11 countries. They included the occupation of a detention centre in Barcelona and the occupation of the IOM-offices in Paris. In Ireland, a demo welcomed back Olunkunle Eluhanle from Nigeria.

The day of action, first agreed at the European Social Forum in London last year, is seen as a contribution to the European landscape of rebellion against migration management. Activists regard it as closely connected to the Euromayday initiatives, thereby linking issues of migration and work.

Check the audio reports for background interviews, the no one is illegal manifesto for a radical position against immigration controls from the UK; and noborder.org for updates from Europe.

several hundred people marched in east london today in solidarity with 5 other british demos and dozens more across the continent. the europe-wide day of action was calling for freedom of movement and the rights of migrants of ALL economic status. about 500 people joined the march starting from clerkenwell green. originally planned to go to london fields in hackney, police only agreed to allow it as far as haggerston park where a rally took place. on route, a petition was handed in at the home office 'communications house' at old street, where asylum seekers have to sign on regularly and often enter the building not knowing whether they might be forcibly deported. no spokesman from the centre would come out to talk to the delegation despite workers being clearly seen at the windows.

the march and rally attracted a wide cross-section of people and generations united in protest at the unjustness of immigration laws that discriminate against the poor and that are clearly racist in their result. along the march, the ubiquitous 'rhythms of resistance' samba band (with some support from sheffield) kept people's steps light and attracted attention to the protest with their rousing and loud rhythms.

further information and campaigning ideas on these issues can be found at the following websites:

http://www.noborders.org
http://www.barbedwirebritain.org.uk
http://www.noii.org.uk

Indymedia feature: "On 25th March, Smash Edo, Bombs out of Brighton and 14 individuals were issued with intended injunctions under the 1997 Harassment Act, to be heard in the High Court on April 14th. The law was first introduced to protect people from stalkers but was then used against anti-vivisection groups. This is the first time it has been used against an anti-war or anti-arms trade group."

"Spring is in the air and with it the talk (yawn) is of elections. But all is not lost for the season also sees the return of the time honoured pastime of defacing election billboard posters. The Conservative Party, in particular, has been on the end of some widespread street level heckling,

Far from thinking of locking up refugees and throwing away the key, grassroots organisations are putting together a European wide day of solidarity with migrants and refugees on April 2nd, in recognition of the appalling and tragic circumstances that so many refugees have to endure. A significant turnout is expected in Manchester, where three separate marches are planned from the north, south and centre of the city."

Plus links and pictures of subvertised Tory billboards. Anti-racist Spray Paint / Tories Subvertised in Longsight / 'Funny Billboards' / Tory election ads - are they racist? / Tory Poster - How You Can Complain / Billbored Subverts in Bristol / SchNews - Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum / Demonstration Against Deportations - Manchester

"EDO/MBM Ltd, who manufacture bomb components for F-16s used in the Iraq war, are seeking an injunction to prevent campaigners from protesting outside their factory in Brighton. The injunction is sought by solicitors firm Lawson-Cruttenden & Co.
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If granted it would create an “exclusion zone” outside of EDO’s premises on Home Farm Industrial Estate as well as banning any protests outside homes of directors and employees of the company (over 160 addresses)! The company will allow protests to take place on Thursday afternoons for two hours provided those protesting number no more than ten and are silent. The blanket nature of the injunction sought could affect hundreds of people involved in the Peace Movement in Brighton and would in effect be a control order, placed against “persons unknown”. "

"About 25 people and a small samba band attended todays Close Campsfield at Campsfield House Immigration detention centre near Kidlington. The demonstration started by the front gate at around noon with cries of “freedom” and “close campsfield now”, accompanied by drumming. The main gate is a long way from where the people are held so it is necessary to be quite vocal so they can here you. This was followed by a couple of speeches, before the group began the walk to the rear of the centre.

The demonstrators and their drums negotiated the small path which leads to the back fence - as close as it is possible to get to where people are being held. The whole of the back fence is screened to prevent those inside seeing the protestors, however a little help from the samba band and a megaphone ensures that the protest is heard by all. Several replying shouts were heard from the accomodation block."

"Yesterday Smash Edo, Bombs out of Brighton and 14 individuals found themselves issued with intended injunctions against them in the High court, London. This is the first time that groups outside of the Animal rights movement have found themselves issued with intended injunctions at the High court. Over 1000 people are connected to the groups listed in the injunction, most people in the anti-war movement in Brighton are members of Sussex action for peace, Smash Edo etc. Yesterday Smash Edo, Bombs out of Brighton and 14 individuals found themselves issued with intended injunctions against them in the High court, London. This is the first time that groups outside of the Animal rights movement have found themselves issued with intended injunctions at the High court. "

"Babar Ahmad, the south London IT worker threatened with extradition to the US on “terrorism” charges, could face indefinite military detention if the extradition goes ahead, according to his lawyers.

The claim was made by Thomas Loflin, an expert witness called in by the defence team. Loflin, a US civil rights lawyer, was speaking at Babar’s extradition hearing in London on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Loflin told the court that there was a “real risk” that Babar could face “Guantanamo or worse” if he was delivered over to US authorities.

The prosecution reacted to Loflin’s testimony by asking for the hearing to be adjourned while they considered how best to respond to it. “We do not concede at this juncture that a transfer to military jurisdiction would constitute a flagrant denial [of Babar’s rights], but we do accept that it is strongly arguable,” said John Hardy, representing the US government."

"Today a law came into force that mean that people in Britain can be arrested and held in prison indefinitely without having the opportunity to hear the evidence against them or the opportunity to prove that they are not guilty of a charge - there is no charge. This abolishes magna carta and the basic safeguards for dissent of liberal democracy against the state. What are we going to do?"

"The marathon debate over the anti-terror bill has finally ended after more than 30 hours with the Government's bill being passed."

"Some human rights groups believe those techniques violate the Geneva Convention and are tantamount to torture, and they have labelled the report a whitewash. But if it were the dogs that were mistreating the detainees how come there hasn't been an independent animal investigation to find out if the dogs were in breach of the rules?"

"A terror suspect held without charge since 2001 has been freed on bail, with eight more suspects due to be released.
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The suspect known as A, a married father-of-five from Algeria, was the only one of the detainees to appear before the Siac hearing in person. The other detainees likely to be granted bail on Friday are Abu Qatada, and those known only as E, H, K, P and Q, along with two men currently held at Broadmoor Hospital, Berkshire, Palestinian Abu Rideh and detainee B."

In a plea to parliamentarians, Gareth Peirce spells out the dangers of control orders

"What the government asks for here is the ultimate demand of any totalitarian regime: the executive is the accuser; the moment of accusation is also the moment of the imposition of the penalty. Wherever in the process a judge comes to be involved, the executive has already pre- determined that the individual will be stigmatised and punished on the basis of suspicion - that suspicion backed only by secret "information". This is a stigma that is intended to attach itself to the accused wherever he moves (if he can) nationally, and conveyed onwards, internationally. It is, of course, open-ended. It will destroy his family for generations. The accuser, the executive, invokes a judge for one reason alone, to give its procedure a spurious cover, to safeguard it against any future judgment of the law lords or the European court of human rights."

"Peers inflicted a further blow to the government's anti-terrorism bill, backing a "sunset clause" that will see it automatically expire on 30 November. Tony Blair had personally opposed the sunset clause but peers voted for it by 297 votes to 110 - a majority of 187.
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The government tabled new legislation after the Law Lords ruled in December that current provisions for detention without trial were unlawful. Current laws expire next Monday, and if some legislation is not in place by then, the men held under anti-terror laws in Belmarsh and Woodhill prisons will have to be released."

"Peers have defeated the government over its anti-terror bill, voting by 249 to 119 to ensure all control orders will be made by courts and not ministers."

"A photographer working at Heysham Port, near Lancaster, who was detained under the Terrorism Act, is urging others to be aware of new legal restrictions on photographers.
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He writes: "three fluorescent-coat wearing individuals approached me and physically frog-marched me back through the lounge having already relieved me of my coffee cup and equipment, and led me through to an internal interogation room, where I was told that under the terrorism act I had no right to silence and no right to a solicitor and that if I didn't co-operate then they had the right to detain me for a minimum of nine hours. They then took all my details (name, address, tel number, occupation, partners details and address, car details, mobile phone ID numbers, marital status, previous address, etc...) then they went through my camara and looked at the photos, then they took my car keys and searched my car."
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The police have extensive new powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 (and the subsequent Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001). From The Guardian, 19.2.01: "Under the Act it is a criminal offence to possess any 'article' or 'information', including photographs, in circumstances which give rise to a 'reasonable suspicion' they would be used for 'terrorist' purposes. The act gives police stop and search powers on the basis of 'expediency' and of 'suspicion', not of committing any offence, but of being connected, or potentially connected, to the bill's vague description of 'terrorism'." The police also have additional powers at ports and airports, including being able to detain suspects for longer, and you must give them any information or documents they ask for. However, "the police have to provide you with proof of identification, name, police station, the aim and grounds for search even if you don’t request this information" "

Related link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ican/A1181972

"The House of Lords has begun a detailed debate of controversial plans to allow the house arrest of terror suspects.
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It scraped through the Commons after ministers pledged to amend it in the Lords to switch control of house arrest orders from politicians to judges."

"UK Muslims should accept that people of Islamic appearance are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, a Home Office minister has said. Hazel Blears said innocent Muslims would be targeted because of the search for Islamic extremists.
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Her comments have been described as "irresponsible" and "outrageous" by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC)."

"On 21 November 2001 the majority of MPs voted to pass sections 21-23 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, which gave authority to the Home Secretary to order the indefinite detention without trial of any foreign national "he believed was a terrorist" if there was "a state of emergency threatening the life of the nation". Both these propositions were matters of his opinion alone, and not open to review by an independent court.

The MPs who voted for this law are listed at:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=200...

You might notice that the Tory Party abstained on mass at this time, but there was a vote on 3 March 2004 to renew the law which they did attend:

http://publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2004-03... "

" Prime minister Tony Blair has described the government's proposed anti-terror plans as the most "responsible" action to take.

Mr Blair made his comments in the Daily Telegraph newspaper after a Commons vote approved the proposals despite considerable opposition.

The plans, which include detaining suspects under house arrest without trial, face further Commons scrutiny on Monday before passing to the Lords.

Do you agree with Mr Blair's comments? What do you think of the proposed anti-terror plans? Does the nature of the terror threats facing Britain make them a necessity? Or do you agree with the critics that say they are the biggest attack on British civil liberties for 300 years? Send us your views."

"Tony Blair was accused of arrogance and of attacking civil liberties as he defended his anti-terror plans ahead of MPs' first debate and vote on them. Tory leader Michael Howard accused Mr Blair of steamrolling the house arrest plans and of "using national security for political point scoring". The Lib Dems say they are not opposed to control orders in principle, but want decisions taken by a judge on a higher standard of proof."

"The government has recently tabled two amendments to the Serious Organised Crime Bill currently going through Parliament and due to become law by May 2005. These are breathtaking assaults on civil liberties. The laws have been presented to the public – via a compliant media - as necessary to prevent animal rights extremism. They go much further than this, however, and criminalise ordinary protest activity such as consumer boycotts or even handing out leaflets to the public."

Grave Threat to Civil Liberties in the UK - A freeB.E.A.G.L.E.S. briefing

"In late 2004, the Whitehall & Industry Group coordinated the recruitment of a 'Head of Marketing' for the UK National Identity Cards Scheme (see Corporate Watch August 24th 2004) through the Whitehall & Industry Group (WIG) website. WIG is funded, by among others, Atos Origin, which has already supplied the Home Office with biometric technology for the ID card trials."

Plus a list of companies which profit from the ID card scheme

Some photos of Brian Haw's permanent protest in Parliament Square, from a demonstration against his planned eviction on 7th Feb 2005.

"Two activists should have been given legal aid in their long fight against a McDonald's libel action, a court says. The European Court of Human Rights said the lack of such aid effectively denied the pair the right to a fair trial."

" Britain's intelligence agencies have been accused of helping America in a secret operation that is sending terror suspects to Middle Eastern countries where prisoners are routinely tortured and abused.

Since 11 September 2001, the CIA has been systematically seizing suspects and sending them, without legal process, not only to Guantanamo Bay but to authorities in countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Human rights campaigners say the system, officially known as "extraordinary rendition" is a system of torture by proxy."

" Faced with differing terrorist threats, separated by three decades, incumbent British governments have chosen to rush through draconian anti-terrorism legislation.

Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, the civil rights group, warned: "On the day when the Prime Minister apologises for past miscarriages of justice, his Government is paving the way for many future injustices. The proposal to bring in house arrest for those suspected of terrorism is the latest in a long line of assaults on the right to a fair trial. We have yet to learn the lessons of Northern Ireland. Everyone knows that internment without trial was the best recruiting sergeant the IRA ever had and yet that is the policy the present Government have adopted in its new war on terror."

So what are the similarities?"

"Consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency ID (RFID) tags in shops, a survey says. More than half of 2,000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags, which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. "

"Lord Stoddart, who was Labour MP for Swindon from 1970 to 1983, compared the Government's policy of house arrest with methods used in 1930s Germany and Italy and during the apartheid era in South Africa. Now, the 79-year-old peer has filed a motion calling for the House of Lords to censure the Prime Minister for making the case for war in Iraq on "the basis of doubtful intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction." "

"Judges may get a greater role in monitoring controversial plans to impose house arrest on terror suspects, Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said. ... Mr Clarke also insisted that house arrest would only apply to terror groups of the sort linked to al-Qaeda and not to animal rights extremists. "

"under the guise of the 'serious organised crime and police bill', we are losing our right to protest outside parliamentary buildings in the vicinity of parliament, whitehall, and buckingham palace. as the bill was debated this afternoon and evening, protestors gathered in the square to protest against this law, which would make brian haw's long-running peace protest opposite parliament illegal."

See also two photos from a demo during the daytime at http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/02/304939.html

"Martin Mubanga claimed in the Observer that an MI6 officer played a key role in consigning him to the US camp in Cuba, following his arrest in Zambia.

He also recalled an interrogation when he was ordered to urinate in the corner of an interview room while chained hand and foot. A US interrogator then, he said, dipped a mop in the pool and daubed him with it.

Asked about the story on Sunday, Home Secretary Charles Clarke said "media discussion" about the Guantanamo Britons, including the Observer article, were "not particularly well informed". "I'm not organising a specific investigation into it," he told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost. "

"On Tuesday the 1st February, around sixty people filled the hall of the Moravian church in central Swindon, to listen to veteran anti-nuclear campaigner Bruce Kent on the latest stop of his tour of the UK promoting the concept of alternatives to war.

Lord Stoddart, formerly the Labour MP for Swindon until 1983, chaired the meeting, and passed on apologies from Kate Hudson of CND, who had also been scheduled to speak about the situation in Iraq, but unfortunately had to pull out at the last minute due to circumstances beyond her control. As it happened, he stepped into the breach and delivered a fine summary of the current situation in Iraq, and the recent history leading up to where we are now. "

"These photos were seized from the 4 antiwar activists who did a number of die-ins outside Parliamant and 10 Downing St last November during the re-opening of Parliament. The photos of a similar action carried out later that day inside the Cabinet Office were also seized but never returned, although no charges were ever brought against the four people invoived. The four were told by the police yesterday that the Cabinet Office had decided not to prosecute."

"PARLIAMENT was warned yesterday that the Government identity card scheme could breach human rights laws on privacy and discrimination. There were serious doubts about the amount of personal information to be gathered by the state under the compulsory card scheme going through Parliament, it was said. A parliamentary committee raised serious questions about possible breaches of human rights — especially the right to respect private lives — and the amount of personal information to be held on the national database for the £3.1 billion identity card project."

"MICHAEL Howard's announcement that his party would have maximum quotas for asylum seekers horrifies me. Asylum seekers are people running for their lives."

"As people maybe aware on mayday 2001 over 3,00 people were cordoned in at oxford circus & held as part of the mayday protests. They were detained for over 7 hours, denied the right to leave (effectively held prisoner) without access to toilet facilities. Many at the time believed this to be illegal by the police. The trial is now being held at the royal courts of justcie to determined whether the police had the legal authority to do what they did. This is the second week of the trial. The first was taken up with people (some protestors, some not) recounting their experiences of being caught up in this cordon. Extensive video footage was shown in court of just how the police effected their operation throughout mayday."

"THE disgraced soldier who photographed the abuse of captured Iraqi looters boasted about subjecting two of them to electric shocks, a court martial was told yesterday. Fusilier Gary Bartlam was also involved in a “disgraceful” episode in which another serviceman held a Minimi machinegun to the heads of three civilian prisoners kneeling with their faces against the ground."

"The Power of Nightmares - first screened in Autumn 2004 and repeated last week on BBC Two - questions whether the threat of terrorism to the West is a politically driven fantasy and if al-Qaeda really is an organised network."

More questions from viewers following the recent repeats of the series, and responses from writer Adam Curtis.

"TWO US "torture jets" used to transport terrorist suspects to countries which use interrogation methods banned by the United Nations have often landed at Scottish airports. The Herald has revealed how a Gulfstream jet, owned by a CIA front company, used Prestwick airport on numerous occasions in the wake of the September 11 attacks and refuelled there last summer. Now a check of records has shown that the Gulfstream, nicknamed the Guantanamo Bay Express, visited Glasgow Airport nine times in 2003 and on five occasions stayed for one or two nights."

"The worldwide system for protecting human rights was significantly weakened in 2004 by the crisis in Darfur and the Abu Ghraib scandal, Human Rights Watch said in releasing its annual world survey today. While the two threats are not equivalent, the vitality of global human rights depends on a firm response to each-on stopping the Sudanese government's slaughter in Darfur and on fully investigating and prosecuting all those responsible for torture and mistreatment in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo. "The U.S. government is less and less able to push for justice abroad, because it's unwilling to see justice done at home," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch"

"The harsh sun and the glare off the white gravel at Guantánamo Bay's Camp Echo make it difficult to see into the small enclosure where Bisher al-Rawi is seated at a tiny, folding table. Two marines have escorted me to his prison hut. Bisher and his friend, my other client, Palestinian Jamil al-Banna, are among half a dozen UK residents who are not to be released with the four Britons also held in Guantánamo."

"The Pentagon and the CIA have asked the White House to decide on a more permanent approach for potentially lifetime detentions, including for hundreds of people now in military and CIA custody whom the government does not have enough evidence to charge in courts. This comes after the International Red Cross made allegations of abuse, mistreatment and torture by the USA. It alleges that US interrogators not only used psychological and physical coercion, but also enlisted the participation of medical personnel in what the report called "a flagrant violation of medical ethics." Doctors and involvement in torture has been raised most recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, (6 January 2005) which claims Doctors aided in detainee abuse."

"When Alberto Gonzales takes his seat before the Senate Judiciary Committee today for hearings to confirm whether he will become attorney general of the United States, Americans will bid farewell to that comforting story line. The senators are likely to give full legitimacy to a path that the Bush administration set the country on more than three years ago, a path that has transformed the United States from a country that condemned torture and forbade its use to one that practices torture routinely. Through a process of redefinition largely overseen by Mr. Gonzales himself, a practice that was once a clear and abhorrent violation of the law has become in effect the law of the land."