The Guardian reports: Police want power to crack down on offensive demo chants and slogans
Present curbs are too light, Met chief to tell Goldsmith
This seems like nothing more than a power grab and an appeal to the right wing members sections of Britain that are incensed by these uppity sandal-wearing Lefties and Muslim types voicing their displeasure about various things.
The country’s biggest force, the Metropolitan police, is to lobby the attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, because officers believe that large sections of the population have become increasingly politicised, and there is a growing sense that the current restrictions on demonstrations are too light.
It seems to me that Tony Blair’s government has recently freaked out about something which has been going on for quite a few years and that is issue politics. The populace seem generally apathetic about the political parties but a number are passionate about singular political issues be it marching in opposition to the Hunting Bill or demonstrating against the Iraq war etc. Also there has been a rise in political views being expressed online as the number of fora has increased where such views can be aired.
I think that they have freaked out because virtually all these views being expressed are anti-government. You’d be hard pressed to find any Joe Public commenter expressing a pro-Iraq opinion for example.
Most worrying is the following bit of it.
The police want powers to tackle a “grey area” in the array of public order laws. At present, causing offence by itself is not a criminal offence.
Causing offence is not a criminal offence and it never bloody well should be.
He talks about respecting freedom of speech.
We also need to think more laterally around how we police public demonstrations where ‘offence’ could be caused, while still respecting the British position around freedom of speech.
But this sounds like just a piece of management speak that means nothing.
But then I’m part of the problem not the solution aren’t I.
