This entry was posted on
Monday, August 21st, 2006 at
10:10 pm and is filed
under The War on Stupid.
Word reaches me via Rachel that:
Mark Thomas is furious about SOCPA and has organised a Lone Demo in Parliament Square whereby as many people as possible apply as individuals to simultaneously demonstrate about anything they like.
The idea is that the police are overloaded with application forms which they have to process and approve, drawing attention to the ridiculous nature of all the red tape and “permissions”. We’re meeting on Thursday the 24th August at 6pm at Charing Cross Police Station to hand in our application forms. People are protesting about all kinds of things from the righteous to the downright silly.
The demo will then take place from 6pm at Parliament Square on Thursday the 31st August. If we can get as many people there as possible it should be really good fun and make a serious and important point.
The form is available for download here (via this page if you have trouble with the direct link).
You can submit this form by post, but I urge you to add that personal touch by handing it in on Thursday the 24th (see above).
Please note that the application form states that; under s137 of the Act the use of a loudspeaker of any description at any time within the designated area is prohibited.
But please also note that the term ‘loudspeaker’ applies exclusively to *electronic* audio/amplification devices.
Bells, whistles, drums, horns, kazoos and good old-fashioned megaphones (like the one pictured) are not prohibited under this particularly stupid part of a very stupid law.
What do I plan to protest about? Have a guess.
(You simply have to come along, even if it’s only to see me carrying a placard declaring that I’ve had enough of paedo-scum.)
UPDATE (22 Aug) – Given recent developments, I may have to change the subject of my protest.
UPDATE – Ding! It just came to me. I keep forgetting that Tony Blair owes me £2000 for drawing up the specifications for his email service. He has never paid me, and “an official statement from Downing St acknowledging my contribution to the project” has yet to be delivered in lieu of payment.
:o)
Yep, here you go… an extract from my form, sent by recorded delivery this afternoon (sadly, I find myself unable to attend the mass hand-in):
Justin’s coming, too… which means that I get to chase my two grand, challenge the SOCPA legislation in a totally legal fashion and spend time with some of my favourite people.
By memespring August 21, 2006 - 10:53 pm
I cant make this, but it’s given me an idea.What about if there was a central website that let people:1) Publically record and submit their application to the police2) Keep track of which applications were turned down/curtailed etcMight make for interesting reading
By Manic August 21, 2006 - 11:27 pm
That is a *very* interesting idea… especially given the Safety Elephant’s pre-election bluff earlier this year:https://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2006/04/methinks_they_d.aspIt would require very high search results for related queries, of course… so it might be best to piggy-back the portal on an existing site.
By D-Notice August 22, 2006 - 12:00 am
I’ll be therehttp://d-notice.blogspot.com/2006/08/lone-protestor.html
By memespring August 23, 2006 - 12:28 am
“That is a *very* interesting idea… especially given the Safety Elephant’s pre-election bluff earlier this year”I can do the web side of it if there’s any programmers willing to do the clever database side of things.
By Manic August 23, 2006 - 12:51 am
(keeps in mind)Let’s do find a home for it and make plans.:o)
By bigdaddymerk August 23, 2006 - 11:43 am
I can host for nowt.