[Imc-london-audio] stories for 31 may part TWO

[Planet Mail]

Here in London, Des Kay, an environmental campaigner and cyclist is 
launching a high court challenge against police claims that the 
long-running monthly critical mass bike ride through London is unlawful.

as you may remember we've covered this story before last september, when 
police handed notices to cyclists saying that under the Public Order Act 
police needed to be notified of demonstrations, and that participants may 
be liable for arrest.

back then many people including green MPs rallied around and the following 
bike rides where bigger than ever.

Des Kay said: "Critical Mass is an important celebration of cycling in the 
capital and makes a real contribution to safe cycling by giving cyclist the 
confidence they need."

Phil Michaels, of Friends of the Earth, whose lawyers will pursue the high 
court challenge said:
"The police have tried to use public order legislation to undermine a 
perfectly lawful and safe cycling event."

We'll be keeping you up to date with the developments...

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Since 2004, the World Naked Bike Ride has been spreading it's message of 
opposition to car culture and oil dependency and celebrating the power and 
individuality of the human body...

here in the UK there are several rides coming up in June...

friday 9th sees rides taking place in York and Manchester, while Southend 
sees its latest critical mass ride, where recently the police have been 
trying to prevent the bike rides from taking place.

saturday 10th sees Naked Bike Rides taking place in brighton and our very 
own london...
- for more info see  www.worldnakedbikeride.org/uk

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News from moscow now....

where the authorities had originally banned a Gay Pride Parade march 
scheduled to take place on saturday 27th...

The gay and lesbian activists decided to defy the ban, and march anyway to 
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument next to the Kremlin,  which 
represents Russia's struggle against fascism, where they intended to lay 
flowers.

However waiting for them at the monumnent were ranks of riot police, as 
well as christian fundamentalists and neo-nazi fascists...

Clashes occured in the surrounding areas as fascists attacked the gay pride 
marchers and the riot police waded into the march...

Up to 120 people were arrested.

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Now this Friday, 2nd June, will see the 5 year anniversary of Brian Haw's 
ongoing anti-war protest in parliament square.

As you'll of course heard, very recently the authorities and police have 
begun to move against brian. In a totally over the top operation over 50 
police swooped at 3am in the morning last week to remove nearly all of 
Brian's placards, banners and personal possessions. One witness described 
parliament square as looking like "a model of totalitarian democracy".

Yesterday Brian was back in court - at bow street magistrates -  charged 
under the SOCPA anti-protest legislation.

He was released on unconditional bail until July 15th and will continue 
his, albeit severely restricted, demonstration until then.

Brian was charged with failing to comply with conditions under the socpa 
act, including a limit on the total size of his anti-war display of 3m x 3m 
x 1m.

outside the court, there was a bit of a mad press scrum, with lots of 
stills photographers and camera teams from sky, bbc london, and channel 4 
in attendance.

in parliament square, supporters who had gathered were happy that the 
police attempts to add more restrictive bail conditions had failed and that 
Brian's  demonstration will continue in its present form while legal 
arguments are resolved.

brian is also due to appear at horseferry court next month in connection 
with an 'unauthorised' demonstration in parliament square said to have 
taken place on mother's day.

for ongoing updates check out the uk indymedia site as well as 
parliament-square.org.uk

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In related news, the farcicle situation of the parliament square SOCPA 
legsilation was futher underlined as comedian Mark Thomas secured a license 
to hold a protest in Parliament square against the licensing of protests in 
parliament square.

The legally allowed protest was held on Thursday May 25th with the 
permitted time being between 1pm and 1.45pm

"We are hereby licenced to protest against protest licencing" said Mark, as 
the 45 minute time period began. As people assembled they were legally 
allowed to hold their assembly discussing the SOCPA legislation and holding 
placcards. As Big Ben struck 1.45 those who had gathered stopped discussing 
politics (as that would now have been illegal) and started talking about 
the weather, thus ensuring their assembly remained lawfull.

Further legal protests against the outlawing of spontaneous protests are 
planned...

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