New Portobello High School - talking about marching

[wangi]

[Betty Windsor]

[seashell]

I think the difference is that the run was a fundraising venture, with people paying to take part - but I could be wrong.

[Betty Windsor]

[wangi]

[seanie]

Gillian, if we start discussing all the things you could be wrong about we'll be here forever.

[Betty Windsor]

FYI take from Campaigncentral.org
Re last paragraph-was this done for your mass demonstration Bob?

Protest and the law
The right to protest is a vital part of our democracy, and protesting is legal. But there are some legal restrictions...

Protesting is legal and the right to protest is a core part of our democracy. Direct action is a particular type of protest and so we will explore that separately.

Demonstrations, marches and stunts are all forms of ‘protest’. Despite their distinctions, what these different forms of protest have in common is that they are the most visible and public campaigning tactic.

Because of their public nature, protests may face restrictions under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, The Protection from Harassment Act 1977, The Highways Act 1980, or the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) 2005. As with other aspects of campaigning, the law does also enshrine the rights to protest. A protestor’s most powerful legal ally is the Human Rights Act 1998 which protects free speech and peaceful protest.

There is an important distinction between the law around demonstrations and marches:

A ‘demo’ will take place in one location. With demos, these can take place anywhere, except for a ‘designated area’ around Parliament as defined by SOCPA. You also have to ensure that it is not obstructing any roads or paths that the public have the right of access to. As long as they remain peaceful and non-threatening, protests should not be accused of aggravated trespass, as defined by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. As we will see in the case study below, in practice even peaceful demonstrations have been stopped under this law.

A march, by its very definition, will move along a route. As such, you must notify the Police beforehand. This is discussed in more detail in SOCPA, but basically you need to notify the Police six days in advance wherever possible, and provide the names and contact details of the main organisers. You also need to provide the exact date, time and route.

[wangi]

You're getting sidetracked on something of no consequence... Plus also quoting things from an English legal perspective.

[seanie]

[Betty Windsor]

[seashell]