|
Parliament Square’s 'Peace Camp' has survived another bout in the courts with the Mayor of London and will remain in Westminster, for another week at least. Last week up to 50 protesters were thrown a life line just hours before a 4pm eviction deadline to move out. Three applications were lodged at the Court of Appeal before the deadline. One was from Rebecca Hall, a student at the South Bank University. Veteran anti-war campaigner Brian Haw is also seeking an appeal. They argue that City Hall does not own the land, that it belongs to the Queen and that the order could not stand with laws on free speech and assembly. Jan Luba QC, representing one of the peace camp factions said the mayor failed to prove any legal title to the land and High Court judge Mr Justice Griffith Williams was wrong to find that he could reclaim it. "The claimant cannot at will exclude the world from entering or remaining on Parliament Square Gardens and cannot bring possession proceedings," Mr Luba said. The efforts to remove the protesters has seen protracted legal proceedings and neared on the farcical as different peace groups demanded separate injunctions.
Mayor "respects right to protest"
A spokeswoman for Mr Johnson said: "The mayor respects the right to demonstrate - however, the scale and impact of the protest has prevented its peaceful use by other Londoners. Parliament Square is a top tourist attraction visited by thousands of people and is broadcast around the world each day. We would urge the protesters to respect the court's ruling and now leave the site peacefully." "Mass activist callout" Council officials and police were ready to tackle over 50 Peace protesters from various groups who have been squatting in Westminster since May. A post on the Democracy Village blog has called for a "mass callout to activist groups to engage in imaginative non-violent action". Tents, banners, campfires, rubbish, and human excrement have been strewn across the iconic square; Mr Johnson said the camp had caused "considerable damage". The protesters have been occupying the central London square to register their objection against the Afghanistan war and several other issues. Democracy Village has housed an array of protesters, vagrants and helpers voicing concerns over Afghanistan, climate change, the Middle East and anti capitalism. They have called today's eviction an affront to democracy. After a nine-day hearing in the High Court, the Mr Justice Williams concluded that there was "overwhelming evidence" that the Democracy Village defendants had breached bylaws.
|
