Police in London attack critical mass

I am surprised not to have noticed anything here on the police
attack on Critical Mass outlined in various places, including
https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/324919.html and
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/324763.html

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Metropolitan Police Service
CO11 Public Order Branch
New Scotland Yard
Broadway
London
SW11 OBG

Your reference: -
Our reference: -
Date: 29/09/2005

Critical Mass Cycle Demonstrations

Organisers of public processions are required by law to notify
police at least 6 days before the event occurs of the date, time,
proposed route and the name and address of an organiser. Failure to
do so makes the event unlawful

Demonstrations within a designated area around Parliament must also
be notified, and anyone taking part in an unauthorised demonstration
commits an offence.

Police can impose conditions on processions, demonstrations and
other assemblies, and participants render themselves liable to
arrest if they fail to comply with those conditions.

These cycle protests are not lawful because no organiser has
provided police the with the necessary notification. Your
participation in this event could render you liable to prosecution.
Police policy in facilitating these events is currently under
review.

If you intend to organise a future similar event please refer to the
Metropolitan Police website, www.met.police.uk for details. It is
preferable for all parties if a lawful event can be safely
facilitated, rather than the Police having to enforce legislation.

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That crap from the police has produced at least one response from a
member of the London Assembly.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/325044.html

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Sir Ian Blair
Metropolitan Police Commissioner
New Scotland Yard
Tower Block
N5Y

Dear Ian,
Critical Mass Bike Ride

I am writing to outline my concerns about plans to label the
Critical Mass Bike Ride as a demonstration and therefore require it
to have permission from the police as well as permission to travel
through the restriction zone around Parliament.

1) Many people do not see Critical Mass as a demonstration, but more
like a hundred people getting on the same train at London Bridge.

2) According to the public order branch of the MPS, Critical Mass
would not meet the definition of demonstration set out by the
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. The bill requires that
the protest is static and has a political message.

3) Critical Mass has operated peacefully in this country for 11
years. There is nothing to suggest that this is likely to change and
the heavy-handed application of the Serious Organised Crime Act and
other legislation is surely unnecessary.

4) Given the fact that Critical Mass has been happening for so long
it may be the case that it does not need permission under the
Serious Organised Crime Act.

5) Operational issues may arise in attempting to arrest attendees at
Critical Mass. How will the police distinguish between ordinary
commuters who are going about their business and those who are
attending Critical Mass?

6) I shall be attending the next Critical Mass as a direct response
to attempts by police to ‘crack down’ on it. I can only imagine that
dozens of other Londoners will feel similarly obliged to stand up
for their right to cycle around London.

I urge you to review this situation and allow Critical Mass to go
ahead unimpeded.

Jenny Jones
Green Party Member of the London Assembly
Mayor’s Road Safety Ambassador
Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority

================================================== =================

Are the police born stupid, or is it a talent they develop over the
years?




--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

"David Hansen" wrote in message
...

Are the police born stupid, or is it a talent they develop over the
years?


Perhaps they'll round up all the motorists in the daily rush hour traffic
jams on the M25....

Cheers, helen s

"wafflycat" waffles*$*A**T*v21net$*££*D*O*T*co*D£$£*O*T*uk wrote in
message ...

"David Hansen" wrote in message
...

Are the police born stupid, or is it a talent they develop over the
years?


Perhaps they'll round up all the motorists in the daily rush hour traffic
jams on the M25....

Cheers, helen s

Should have added... not all police seem to have the flair for the
headline-grabbing stupidity that the current head of the Met does. Which is
good. Is Blair head of Met hoping to replace our Dear Leader, slipping in by
the back door on the grounds of same surname, same overreaction, no-one will
notice the difference?

wafflycat wrote:

Should have added... not all police seem to have the flair for the
headline-grabbing stupidity that the current head of the Met does. Which
is good. Is Blair head of Met hoping to replace our Dear Leader,
slipping in by the back door on the grounds of same surname, same
overreaction, no-one will notice the difference?


There is something of the Slitheen about him


--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

On Thu, 6 Oct 2005 19:01:29 +0100 someone who may be "wafflycat"
waffles*$*A**T*v21net$*££*D*O*T*co*D£$£*O*T*uk wrote this:-

Should have added... not all police seem to have the flair for the
headline-grabbing stupidity that the current head of the Met does.

Of course.

I think what gets me about Mr Blair is his arrogance. He takes part
in a conspiracy to murder, a conspiracy which some of the
conspirators act on in Stockwell. He then writes a letter in which
he arrogantly suggests that he, in essence a council official,
should be able to set aside the law when it is convenient for him to
cover up the conspiracy. He, or those working for him, also stops
the "Independent" Police Complaints Commission from getting on site
for ISTR five days, during which time all sorts of things probably
happened that mean the conspiracy will not be investigated properly.
The sound of the whitewash being mixed is rather loud.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

With regard the police threats warning people not to cycle in London as
part of any CM event, this is taken from the Velorution site:

Many commentators with a minimum of knowledge in civil liberties have
pointed out that the text is a legal colander. For instance:

If the Met class CM as a 'procession'(which can be a motorcade or
funeral cortege - so by analogy, CM comes within this definition,
rather than a static assembly to which s.14 POA 1986 applies) then they
will try to use s.11(1) Public Order Act 1986 to impose conditions in
advance of the ride. However, there is a problem for the police, who
claim that a 'change of policy'has led to the threat to use the
POA. (e.g. a reluctance to pay for escorting officers on bikes, rather
than any serious concerns about disorder?).
It is that s.11(1)POA 1986 has no application under s.11(2) where the
procession is 'one commonly or customarily held in the police area/s
in which it is proposed'. It is arguable that CM's history of
regular rides every month at the same time for 11 years makes it a
'commonly...held [procession]'and thus the Met cannot use s.11(1).
If they do, as was used against the fuel protestors on the M4 recently,
(not a commonly held procession), then they are acting outside the
powers of the POA - ultra vires -and, in my view, the decision to
impose such conditions would be judicially reviewable on that ground
and possibly for breach of Article 10 and 11 of the ECHR. A prohibitory
injunction could be sought to prevent the use of s.11(1) if the police
announce they intend to use it.

P.s whatever the legality of the police's action I think anyone taking
part in CM this month need to be careful to avoid giving the police any
excuse to abuse their position further. One cannot help thinking that
the police are trying to engineer a confrontation in order to serve the
interests of their political masters,and we know from history (the
miner strike, the printers dispute etc.) etc. that the police are
experts at this.



By the way, anyone remember Don McPhee's iconic image of the row of
police officers at Orgreave with the miner wearing a toy policeman's
hat standing just in front of them? I didn't even see the significance
of this image until I read about it years later. The whole point is
that non of the police have their uniform numbers on. Apparently the
senior officer in charge had effectively given his officers carte
blanch to use any degree of violence they wanted and so ordered them to
take their numbers off so it would be even more difficult to bring any
of the officers to account later on. So if the police turn up at CM
less identifying badges, you will know what their game plan is...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,1384820,00.html

This is why I hate CM. It takes people who are neutral or even pro-bike
and makes them actively anti-bike.

--
Peter Headland

On 6 Oct 2005 13:08:52 -0700, Peter Headland wrote:

This is why I hate CM. It takes people who are neutral or even pro-bike
and makes them actively anti-bike.

The fact is that the group, self styled Critical Mass, wishes to evade it's
collective responsibility to behave properly and often behaves very badly
by all accounts. I fail to see why other road users, including
pedestrians, should have to suffer their bullish behavior because 'they'
choose to behave like louts once a month.
If CM want to ride around London, fine, obey the rules... all of them. If
CM voluntary workers think they are above or beyond the law and hope to
evade the responsibility they are taking on themselves in 'not' organizing
the ride, but publicly promoting it, they may find they are in fact
'responsible' in the 'eyes of the law'.
This requirement is a notice to all that public anarchy once a month will
no longer be tolerated. A notice which is long overdue in my opinion.

Sniper8052

One time supporter of CM...

Sniper8052 wrote:
often behaves very badly
by all accounts.

You'll have to be a bit more specific than that.

I fail to see why other road users, including
pedestrians, should have to suffer their bullish behavior because 'they'
choose to behave like louts once a month.

I fail to see why cyclists should put up with the bullish behaviour of
motorists on every other day of the month, but YMMV.

This requirement is a notice to all that public anarchy once a month will
no longer be tolerated. A notice which is long overdue in my opinion.

If you want to know the time, ask a policeman. But if you want advice
on a point of law ...

d.