Police tense over tents
By Tony Grew - 20th January 2011
A senior Met police officer has highlighted the force's concerns about proposed legislation on protest in Parliament Square.
The police reform and social responsibility bill committee took evidence today from assistant commissioner Lynne Owens.
The bill introduces new powers for police and "authorised officers" to prohibit persons from engaging in certain activities in a specified area of Parliament Square, including setting up tents and "unauthorised operation of any amplified noise equipment".
Owens said that if the legislation is passed the Met will do their utmost to apply it, after they have applied their own human rights act test.
However, she said that force, and potentially "extreme force", may be required to clear people and structures from the Square.
Owens said even if a conviction is secured, there is nothing to stop the same people coming back a few days later and doing the same thing.
She questioned if that is sustainable in terms of both resources and public confidence.
Liberty's Shami Chakrabati also gave evidence to the bill committee.
She said the Parliament Square measures made her "very nervous" and will reduce police to acting like bouncers at a nightclub.
She called it "a recipe to make a difficult situation worse" and questioned what harm was being done by peace protesters.
Chakribati said there is already lots of laws, such as obstruction, criminal damage and threatening behaviour, that could be used.
She also said it would be wiser to start with the justification for interference and come up with a law with general applicability, rather than limiting it to Parliament Square.
One MP asked how all this will impact the Royal Wedding.
We all recall that a teenage David Cameron was among the thousands of people who camped out overnight on a central London pavement to watch Charles and Di on their wedding day.
Owens said the police have already been having a think about that.
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