GLA making money from Public land

“Parliament Square may be used for filming, photo-shoots and photo-calls, subject to approval in advance. Organisations must submit an application and, if permission is granted, follow the GLA’s guidelines and observe the terms and conditions. Commercial fees for filming, photo shoots and photo calls on Parliament Square Garden are currently £300 + VAT per hour.”

This looks like another reason for not allowing members of the public onto public owned land. £300 per hour wouldn’t work if members of the public and tourists could simply enter this public space. Contact GLA and let them know what you think:

email parliament.square@london.gov.uk or telephone 0207 983 4750

Pedestrian Crossing For Parliament Square Could End Brian Haw Protest

June 2, 2011

It’s not as if Parliament Square is a featureless roundabout. The area contains numerous statues, including Churchill and Mandella, as well as a well-tended lawn and flower beds. It also offers some of the best vantage points for snapping the Houses of Parliament. Then, of course, there’s the protest camp. London legend Brian Haw pitched his tent opposite parliament 10 years ago. His supporters are still there, although Haw is currently absent for medical reasons.

Westminster Council are finally planning to install a crossing, from the corner between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. But they also want Haw & Co. to shift. According to Council Leader Colin Barrow: For too long this camp has dominated the square which should be available for all. We of course, support the right to protest and will continue to do so, but the camping out for years on end has turned the area into an eyesore. I think they have made their point and now is the time to reclaim the square for all Londoners and their visitors once and for all.”

Parliament Square protesters to be evicted as Boris Johnson triumphs

Mr Justice Griffith Williams said that in reaching his decision to exclude them from the Gardens, the Mayor “directed himself correctly, considered all the relevant matters and reached a reasoned decision which cannot be criticised”. The court is continuing to consider other matters, including whether the eviction of the protesters should be delayed. At a hearing in London earlier this month, Ashley Underwood QC told the judge that the case concerned a “collision of rights”.

Counsel said that the site was classified in English Heritage’s register of parks and gardens of special historical interest and directly abutted the World Heritage site of Westminster Palace and Westminster Abbey. “In bringing this claim, the Mayor does not seek to minimise the vital importance of the right to free speech and assembly and protest, especially in such a significant location and in such a vibrant city as this. “Rather, what he seeks to achieve is to safeguard the rights of the majority to use and enjoy Parliament Square Gardens and bid to prevent the abrogation to themselves of such a place by a small minority, however well-intentioned.”

Greater London Authority Act 1999

Section 384

Parliament Square

(1)The land comprised in the site of the central garden of Parliament Square (which, at the passing of this Act, is vested in the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport) is by this subsection transferred to and vested in Her Majesty as part of the hereditary possessions and revenues of Her Majesty.

(2)Nothing in subsection (1) above affects—

(a)any sewers, cables, mains, pipes or other apparatus under that site, or

(b)any interest which was, immediately before the passing of this Act, vested in London Regional Transport or any of its subsidiaries.

(3)The care, control, management and regulation of the central garden of Parliament Square shall be functions of the Authority.

(4)It shall be the duty of the Authority well and sufficiently to light, cleanse, water, pave, repair and keep in good order and condition the central garden of Parliament Square.

(5)The functions conferred or imposed on the Authority by this section are in addition to any other functions of the Authority.

(6)In consequence of the preceding provisions of this section, any functions of the Secretary of State under or by virtue of section 22 of the M1Crown Lands Act 1851 (duties and powers of management in relation to the royal parks, gardens and possessions there mentioned), so far as relating to the whole or any part of the central garden of Parliament Square, shall determine.

(7)Subsections (3) and (4) above shall have effect notwithstanding any law, statute, custom or usage to the contrary.

(8)Any functions conferred or imposed on the Authority by virtue of this section shall be functions of the Authority which are exercisable by the Mayor acting on behalf of the Authority.

(9)In this section “the central garden of Parliament Square” means the site in Parliament Square on which the Minister of Works was authorised by the M2Parliament Square (Improvement) Act 1949 to lay out the garden referred to in that Act as “the new central garden”.

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Tomlinson police officer to face manslaughter trial

May 24, 2011

A police officer will face trial for manslaughter over the death of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests. PC Simon Harwood, 43, a Metropolitan police officer, will face a criminal prosecution for striking Tomlinson with a baton and pushing him to the ground in April 2009. Tomlinson, 47, had been trying to make his way home from work through demonstrations near the Bank of England when he was pushed from behind. He collapsed and died three minutes later. Three weeks ago an inquest jury decided Tomlinson was “unlawfully killed”.

The director of public prosections, Keir Starmer, had announced in July last year that he did not believe there was sufficient evidence for a prosecution due to complications relating to medical evidence. However, he said in a statement today that new information had emerged during the inquest and, while difficulties remained, he now believed there was sufficient evidence to bring criminal proceedings. “Taking the evidence as it now stands, we have concluded that, even with those remaining difficulties, there is now sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of successfully prosecuting PC Simon Harwood for the manslaughter of Mr Tomlinson,” he said. “That being the case, it is clearly in the public interest that criminal proceedings be brought.

“Accordingly, a summons charging PC Harwood with the manslaughter of Mr Tomlinson has been obtained from the City of Westminster magistrates court. He will appear before that court on 20 June 2011.” The DPP said the inquest had allowed “a degree of clarity” to emerge and had resolved some complications relating to medical evidence.

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May 9, 2011

Earlier today I went to the City of Westminster Court to see the protest which had been orginised against the trial of 138 people who had peacefully demonstrated in Fortnum and Mason. I arrived 40 minutes late thanks to the District Line so I only managed to catch the last part of the speeches. The demonstration today was for the 138 people who were attending a court case for their part in the peaceful protest at Fortnum and Mason on March 26.

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Section 50 Police Reform Act 2002

50 Persons acting in an anti-social manner

(1) If a constable in uniform has reason to believe that a person has been acting, or is acting, in an anti-social manner (within the meaning of section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37) (anti-social behaviour orders)), he may require that person to give his name and address to the constable.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/30/section/50?view=plain

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

1 Anti-social behaviour orders.

(1) An application for an order under this section may be made by a relevant authority if it appears to the authority that the following conditions are fulfilled with respect to any person aged 10 or over, namely—

(a) that the person has acted, since the commencement date, in an anti-social manner, that is to say, in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself; and

[F1(b) that such an order is necessary to protect relevant persons from further anti-social acts by him.]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/37/section/1?view=plain

Love Police Statement on the Pre-Crime Political Arrests

By Charlie Veitch

THE ARREST

Charlie Veitch, the founder of the peace activist group ‘The Love Police’, was pre-emptively arrested on Thursday the 28th of April 2011, around 1615h, on an allegation of a conspiracy to cause public nuisance. As the video evidence shows, Charlie was not read his rights, and no warrant was presented for his arrest or for the search of his living space. He was held for 16 hours at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge. Outraged locals, students, and activists protested outside the station, and concerned citizens from around the world inundated the station with phone calls to voice their concern of this totalitarian police behaviour. Parkside police were obstructive to his lawyer, family, and partner, let alone friends and supporters, by not providing any information of his wellbeing or whereabouts.

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Man arrested in Cambridge for royal wedding protest plan

April 29, 2011

A campaigner has been arrested at a house in Cambridge a day before he planned to protest against the royal wedding in London. Charlie Veitch was arrested at about 1700 BST on Thursday on suspicion of “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance”. His arrest sparked a freedom of speech demonstration outside Parkside Police Station, Cambridge, where he was held. Mr Veitch uses a megaphone in protests and runs the Love Police website. On Friday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed Mr Veitch was now in custody in London. Mr Veitch’s girlfriend Silkie Carlo, 21, of Cambridge, said she was with her partner when police arrested him.

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Video footage given to the BBC for their use.  My comments below are not supported nor endoresed  by the BBC. The comments below are my own and represent 4TheRecord only.

April 29, 2011

Today I went to Soho Square in order to get some footage of a Zombie Party that was meant to be happening there.  When I arrived I noticed how empty the place nearly was.  There were more police then press and more press then the Zombies.  It became clear after a while that many people were being prevented from getting to Soho Square. I saw people dressed as Zombies held for long periods on Oxford Street and around 30 police officers were waiting around one corner while a group of 20 waited at another corner.

It looked like anyone who was wearing fancy dress was being detained and it appeared that arrests were being made has the people never did arrive at Soho Square which was just around the corner.

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Warmington: Cops had hands ‘cuffed

June 30, 2010

ORONTO — – Who made the decision for police to stand down despite the fact the city was under attack? And why? Was it a police decision or political? These should be the cornerstone questions of an external review surrounding the chaos of the G20. After all, police officers were trained to stop the Black Bloc anarchists, were appropriately equipped and massively manned. As downtown Toronto witnessed burning police cars and a small group of thugs on a rampage, a police source tells me the only thing that stopped the officers from doing that was an order telling them not to. They tell me they could have rounded up all, or most of them, in no time.

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