I was surveying the wreckage from yesterday’s demonstration when I noticed something that says a lot about British democracy and the rule of law. The long running protest by Brian Haw (now joined by others) has been an unsightly part of Parliament Square for some years and various attempts have been made to end it.…
The condition of Parliament Square is of interest to a number of Lords. Lord Norton has blogged on this site about the departure of the squatters and Lady Trumpington recently asked a question about it. I have tried twice to question the government about it. On the first occasion earlier this year the issue was sub judice, that…
The demonstrators camped in Parliament Square were last night removed by bailiffs. Their continued presence has been highly controversial. On the one hand, the one situation worse than having people demonstrate outside Parliament is not having people demonstrate outside Parliament. On the other hand, no right is absolute unto itself and these protestors were not only causing…
I have already commented, in response to comments on my earlier post, on the evidence we heard on Wednesday from representatives of the police, Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority on demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament. However, there was an additional thought that crossed my mind as the witnesses spoke about the problems of…
The right to demonstrate is fundamental in a free society. People variously demonstrate in front of Parliament. However, the continued presence of one vocal demonstrator, Brian Haw, has caused particular controversy. His essentially permanent anti-war encampment on Parliament Square has aroused considerable opposition from parliamentarians and their staff. Some have objected because of the noise from…
