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See quote from Global Women's Strike below
Yard raid on the Parliament
peace camp turns into farce JOE MURPHY Political Editor A POLICE swoop to destroy the "peace camp" of anti-war protester Brian Haw outside Parliament turned into a farce today. Dozens of officers raided the makeshift settlement where Mr Haw and nine supporters were spending the night. But the 2.35am operation ran into trouble when two protesters climbed onto a huge blue container the police had brought to clear away a mountain of placards, banners and papers. The pair climbed up the side using a ladder that the police had brought with them. Officers then watched helplessly, as the man and woman held up a banner declaring: "Freedom of expression over political repression". The police made no attempt to remove the pair and were unable to put more items in the blue container or take it away from Parliament Square where it was still causing an obstruction when the rush hour started at 7am. Meanwhile, Mr Haw, who has spent nearly five years camped outside the House of Commons to protest at the Iraq war, angrily confronted the officer in charge of the scene, chief inspector Vic Layzell. "These are my entire personal possessions that you are taking away," he said. "You have even taken away my umbrella so I will get wet. And you have taken evidence of genocide carried out by Britain and America." The raid was mounted to clear away all but a token remainder of the 40-metre long line of shabby and rotting posters and placards, which have built-up since the Iraq invasion was first threatened. Parliament passed a special law to evict Mr Haw because MPs were infuriated by the mess and by the way he and his supporters bellowed slogans and peace songs though a megaphone. But the courts refused to allow the law to be implemented in full. A judge banned the use of megaphones but allowed Mr Haw to stay, subject to his camp being reduced to three metres. As the heaps of rotting posters were dismantled today, mice were seen scampering away. Mr Haw said he had been awake when the police arrived. "They just came marching up like Nazis," he said. "They said I should move my personal property but then began dumping it in the skip. They have completely destroyed all the expressions of people who opposed the war in Iraq." He said: "What gives them the legal right to remove 40 metres of evidence of genocide and reduce it to just three metres? I will not be forced out of here. I am staying here." The protesters who climbed onto the container refused to give their names. But the woman, who is known as Maria; said: "We will stay up here for days if necessary. What has been done today is morally wrong. This was supposed to be being negotiated through solicitors but they just turned up unannounced." Kay Cherry of the Global Women's Strike said the police "crept up" on the protesters. "The police came when it was dark, hoping nobody would see or we would be asleep. They began filling the container but they didn't bring enough space so they have had to ram everything in." Another supporter, Sarah Brown, who works at a women's centre, said: "Brian speaks for millions and has inspired people around the world. It is outrageous to stifle that." Later, a small group of demonstrators turned up, blowing whistles and chanting. Some officers complained privately that they were unable to arrest the pair on the container because the Government's Serious Organised Crime and Police Act had abolished powers to arrest an individual to prevent the continuance of an offence. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "This action. was taken due to continual breaches of the conditions imposed on the demonstration. This action follows a number of requests to the applicant to adhere to the conditions, which he has failed to comply with. |