Attack on right to protest by police

[The Black Hand]

I quite agree. To downgrade the offence of Riot from Life Imprisonment (as it was at Common Law) to 10 years maximum penalty (as it now is under this Act) is ridiculous ...

And your sarcasm is ridiculous - you try to defend oppressive law by saying that 'the act got rid of an histroical anachronism' shows your conservative agenda all too clearly

 

[detective-boy]

...an histroical anachronism'...

Did you mean "historical" or "hysterical"? It's hard to know with your posts ...

 

[The Black Hand]

Did you mean "historical" or "hysterical"? It's hard to know with your posts ...

Its 'historical' as you very well know...

 

[cutandsplice]

Fucking ridiculous - for wearing an halloween mask this time;

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/12/358716.html

And they can issue fixed penalty notices at will... Fuk sake...

When were at Parliament Square in 2002 chanting at Countryside Alliance bods; "Robert Mugabe he's our man he shoots farmers bang bang bang" we'd have been fair game for those fixed penalty notices... As it was Police told us to shut up, eventually, but we had a good crack...

You're so wadical Attica! I bet they immediately subscribed to the forthcoming issue of Autonomous Clas War!

 

[The Black Hand]

You're so wadical Attica! I bet they immediately subscribed to the forthcoming issue of Autonomous Clas War!

DO tell!! Do you or anybody wish to donate?

 

[guinnessdrinker]

SO you would rather live in a state without courts and juries? There is a difference between proposing an abstraction as an alternative to defending what there is... Of course, its not perfect but we should be in the business of improving society not making it worse.

I never seriously claimed to be an anarchist, unlike some.

 

[Balbi]

When were at Parliament Square in 2002 chanting at Countryside Alliance bods; "Robert Mugabe he's our man he shoots farmers bang bang bang"

Right then; the enemy of my enemy is my friend? That's a classic Monroe Doctrine bit of thinking you've allowed yourself there. Mugabe? Oh dear.

...As it was Police told us to shut up, eventually

As anyone with half a brain cell would have - christ, it's so bloody pathetic to think that this is considered by some to be the leading edge of popular politics.

but we had a good crack...

You're lucky they didn't arrest you for possession.

 

[Azrael]

Another point about these penalty notices: since the alternative is very likely arrest, which now entails permenant databasing of photographs, fingerprints and DNA, they could be said to be a lot less draconian than traditional procedure.

Even if the police went back to destroying those things, you'd still be spending several hours in a cell. Getting an on-the-spot fine you can later refuse again seems a lot less draconian.

The one issue I'd have is whether magistrates are told about the penalty notice being refused. If they are they could well end up assuming the accused person is guilty. If it's just treated like another trial I honestly cannot see the problem with them.

 

[detective-boy]

The one issue I'd have is whether magistrates are told about the penalty notice being refused. If they are they could well end up assuming the accused person is guilty.

It's not a case of the notice being refused - you just don't paty it and a summons is issued (if they don't manage to lose the papers and forget all about it!). Then it appears as a summons case in the normal way.

In any event, I shouldn't have thought the Magistrates would consider the declining of a notice, or the failure to pay the fixed penalty as anything other than a plea of not guilty (which is exactly what it is).

 

[The Black Hand]

Right then; the enemy of my enemy is my friend? That's a classic Monroe Doctrine bit of thinking you've allowed yourself there. Mugabe? Oh dear.

As anyone with half a brain cell would have - christ, it's so bloody pathetic to think that this is considered by some to be the leading edge of popular politics.

It was a bit of fun - no more, there wasn't any politics implied in singing it beyond resentment felt against the politics of the Countryside Alliance... A trifle provocative but not so bad...

 

[The Black Hand]

I never seriously claimed to be an anarchist, unlike some.

I would like to be an anarchist with everybody else one day, of course we're not in the promised land yet but I fail to see your gripe. I do not defend an abstract utopian ideology (such as the anarchism you claim I should defend).