Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 Milan Rai gave a talk locally, and we met him on a couple of anti war demos. Jo Rai argued the new law breached human rights legislation A man has been fined £350 for reading out the names of soldiers killed in Iraq at the Cenotaph. Milan Rai, 40, from Hastings, East Sussex, was arrested inside the " exclusion zone " in Westminster, where protests now need police permission. Mr Rai argued that the new law contravened Human Rights legislation. But a judge said his was not a spontaneous protest, but an organised event for which he had deliberately failed to get permission on principle. Passing sentence, District Judge Nicholas Evans told Rai: " You knew what the law was. You, quite with your eyes wide open, decided not to comply with it. " Tea parties Rai had admitted that his 2005 protest breached the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, which states all protests within a half-mile of Parliament require prior police permission. He was fined £350 for the unauthorised demonstration and told to pay £150 costs within 28 days. But he responded to the fine by telling the court: " I'm unable to comply with any financial penalty. " Several protesters have already fallen foul of the new law. Last week Mark Barrett was fined £250 for organising weekly tea parties in Parliament Square, in protest at the ban. The only protester allowed to continue without permission is long- term peace activist Brian Haw. He has successfully argued that as his five-year vigil in Parliament Square pre-dates the law, it does not apply to him. The government is appealing against that decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2006 Report Share Posted April 12, 2006 war is peace! freedom is slavery! double plus good >heartwerk <jo.heartwork >Apr 12, 2006 5:04 AM > > Activist fined for illegal demo > > Milan Rai gave a talk locally, and we met him on a couple of anti >war demos. > >Jo > >Rai argued the new law breached human rights legislation >A man has been fined £350 for reading out the names of soldiers >killed in Iraq at the Cenotaph. >Milan Rai, 40, from Hastings, East Sussex, was arrested inside >the " exclusion zone " in Westminster, where protests now need police >permission. > >Mr Rai argued that the new law contravened Human Rights legislation. > >But a judge said his was not a spontaneous protest, but an organised >event for which he had deliberately failed to get permission on >principle. > >Passing sentence, District Judge Nicholas Evans told Rai: " You knew >what the law was. You, quite with your eyes wide open, decided not to >comply with it. " > >Tea parties > >Rai had admitted that his 2005 protest breached the Serious Organised >Crime and Police Act, which states all protests within a half-mile of >Parliament require prior police permission. > >He was fined £350 for the unauthorised demonstration and told to pay >£150 costs within 28 days. > >But he responded to the fine by telling the court: " I'm unable to >comply with any financial penalty. " > >Several protesters have already fallen foul of the new law. Last week >Mark Barrett was fined £250 for organising weekly tea parties in >Parliament Square, in protest at the ban. > >The only protester allowed to continue without permission is long- >term peace activist Brian Haw. > >He has successfully argued that as his five-year vigil in Parliament >Square pre-dates the law, it does not apply to him. The government is >appealing against that decision. > > > > > > > > > > >To send an email to - > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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