Fight for Your Right to Protest

An article in "ARC News" (March 2003), illustrates that we can, and should, fight for our right to protest. In summary, last October Brenda and 5 others attended a protest at Newchurch Guinea Pig Farm. One member of the group shouted "scum" over the megaphone so the police asked all six to leave (or risk arrest) under Section 42 of the Harassment Act, even though it was blantantly clear Brenda and 4 others had done nothing to warrant such treatment. They all left to avoid arrest and Brenda forked out a £27 fee to issue a Small Claim against the police for breaching her human right to protest. Brenda, 60 and disabled, defended herself, and the judge ruled she should not have received any Section 42 directive to leave for something somebody else had clearly done. This shows that justice can be achieved, but also illustrates that the police cannot issue blanket directives against all members of a protest.

ARC News (0845 458 0146, [email protected])
Newchurch Guinea Pig campaign (01902 564 734)

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