[R-G] Anti-war group's march on Parliament is banned

[Anthony Fenton]

Copyright 2007 Times Newspapers Limited
All Rights Reserved
The Times (London)

September 29, 2007, Saturday

SECTION: HOME NEWS; Pg. 2

LENGTH: 262 words

HEADLINE: Anti-war group's march on Parliament is banned

BYLINE: Michael Evans Defence Editor

BODY:


Thousands of demonstrators planning to march on Parliament to call  
for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq have been told  
that their protest has been banned.

The Metropolitan Police told organisers of the Stop the War Coalition  
that no march would now be allowed "within one mile of Parliament"  
while MPs were in session.

The organisers, who are expecting thousands of people to turn up for  
the protest march from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square, said  
that this was a "totally different" interpretation of the  
regulations, and accused Gordon Brown of reneging on a pledge to  
liberalise the laws on demonstrations.

"One moment the Prime Minister is supporting the right of Burmese  
monks to demonstrate in Rangoon, and yet here in London we're being  
stopped from marching on Parliament. It's hypocrisy," Lindsey German,  
convener of the Stop the War Coalition, said.

She added: "The rules covering Parliament have never been interpreted  
in this way before. In fact, the police have always tried to be as  
flexible as possible. This is a new development and threatens our  
democratic rights."

The organisers said that the announcement by the police related to  
Parliament's "sessional orders", which are intended to provide "free  
and easy access" for MPs.

The campaigners had planned the demonstration on October 8, the first  
day of Parliament after the recess.

Sessional orders date back to 1680 and have been renewed each year.  
But these were replaced by the Serious Crime and Police Act in 2005,  
and decisions on demonstrations in the area are now taken by police.