Lone Protest Day
 

I missed this when it happened because I was living it up at my parents' and not wasting work time keeping up with current affairs, but thought it worth sharing, especially as there are some great pictures here credited to London Daily News.

Background:
Brian Haw started a protest against sanctions against Iraq in 2001. He was protesting in Parliament Square - in front of the House of Commons. There were various attempts to move him, but as he was breaking no law he remained.

Until the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act was passed last year. Some cynics claim that the section dealing with protest in Parliament Square was specifically written to get rid of Brian, who has become a hero to both the anti-war and freedom of speech movements. It is pointed out that protesters can demonstrate after obtaining a permit to protest from the police. Therefore any terrorist (especially a suicidal one) can trip merrily along to the police station, get a permit and then blow themself up six days later, before the wheels of bureaucracy have even started turning.

Brian challenged the law claiming it could not be applied retrospectively - therefore making him the only person legally allowed to protest without a permit. I believe this is still going through appeals processes.

Anyway - to Lone Protest Day. People were invited to submit applications to the same police station, on the same day and protest in Parliament Square on 31 August. 120 turned up, protesting a number of different causes - the Croydon Loony Party called for 'Free Chocolate For Students, Pensioners and the Unemployed', a campaign to have Robbie Williams exiled for crimes against music and a call to have wanking banned because 'every time you masturbate, God kills a Tory'. Amongst others of course.

What can I say - yay for the lone protesters who were busy trying to save us from our own Govt while I was getting drunk with my Mum & Dad. A quintessentially English way of going about it too, imo.

More pics:
 

From the same protest

What the heck is onanism?

Both Wikipedia and webster will tell you.

I would guess you've rather intimate knowledge about it. Most do.

Anyone protesting protesters? ;)

Brian Coleman (of the London Assembly) apparently had something to say to the protesters as shown here.

I can't view it on my PC, so don't know if there is any "language".

I will never carry an ID card.
Also, even if a cop asks me for one and I have it (dr lic), if I have done nothing wrong, I will not give it to him/her, unless I am driving, which I no longer do.
In the US there is no law that you have to ID yourself unless you have broken a law.
Police have forgotten who they work FOR.

The question is...

If you were out there, what would YOU protest?

Modern music, for me.

Texas summer heat.

Time: The world would be a happier place if there was no time. It seems like there's never enough of it except when you have too much of it on your hands. It is always either creeping by or flying. The present has the confusing habit of turning into the past, and the future never arrives.

OUTLAW TIME!

Most commercial chocolate.

Film and general arts students :mad:

You won't carry it, but do you have it?

I know someone who has made the choice not to do so.

It is not easy, by any means. Even as simple an act as renewing a post office box with a postmaster who knows you on sight becomes impossible, or nearly so.

I suppose Brits have a valid reason for protesting about the unjustified banning by Americans of the letter 'u'.....

'America needs 'U'!?'

I have a drivers license, driving is a choice, not something you have to do.
When it expires, as I can no longer drive, I will no longer have one.
If it is made mandatory, I will not get one, if mailed to me, I will burn it.
I am an American... what that truly means, not what it has become.

And so what does it truly mean? 'True' Americanism has been getting its ass handed to it on a silver platter for the last decade, and I'm not talking about the war or our government there.

You are right... it is a shame, not many of us left. Does not lessen the honor of being one or the responsibility.

Compulsory blacklisting anyone with a high BMI so they couldn't order pizza or buy fast food. Which would of course include me.

Like the Pubwatch schemes we have here in Leicester - "banned by one, banned by all"

Whenever I see a big group of protesters going on about how horrible everything is, I'm struck by one point of similarity -- they're all able to take the day off of work. I'm jealous...I want to be oppressed, too.