WALTHAMSTOW: Campaigners claim victory following free speech demo (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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WALTHAMSTOW: Campaigners claim victory following free speech demo
12:35pm Sunday 7th February 2010 in News By Carl Brown
Campaigners in Walthamstow town square yesterday
CAMPAIGNERS who yesterday defied the council's clampdown on setting up tables without permission have claimed victory after officers did not intervene.
More than 20 socialists set up eight stalls in Walthamstow town square while the Green party also had a table.
Activists are furious that the authority's officers have threatened campaigners with prosecution for setting up stalls without permission, citing a 105-year-old by-law.
But yesterday the campaigners carried out their protest unhindered.
Sarah Sachs-Eldrige, Walthamstow Socialist party secretary, said: “We are treating this as a small victory.
“They [the officers] probably thought it was more hassle than it was worth to try and stop us.”
The socialist activists have accused the authority of attempting to stifle free speech as they were collecting signatures for a petition calling for an inquiry into the council's finances when they were first threatened with prosecution.
Ms Sachs-Eldrige said: "People were absolutely disgusted when we told them what the council has been doing."
Steve Lambert, a candidate for the Green party in the local elections, said: "The town centre is traditionally the heart of the community where people can meet and exchange ideas- it is a public space.
"By attempting to stop campaigning stalls and dissenting voices, the council is taking away our civil liberties and freedom of speech and, as this action comes in the run up to council elections, they are attacking our democracy as well.
The council has said campaigners need to enter into a signed legal agreement and pay a fee in order to set up a table in the town square.
But despite inquiries neither the Guardian nor the Socialist Party have received an answer from the authority about the size of a fee and the terms of any agreement which would need to be signed.
Political and religious groups have been setting up stalls in the town square for years but the council says it has only recently had enough officers to catch people breaking the by-law.
The Socialist Party is organising an event on March 6 to protest against the council's prosecution threats, called Campaign 2 Campaign.
It wants residents to set up stalls, and bring banners and megaphones to demand the right to protest in the town square from noon.
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Comments(8)
jrp
says...
2:04pm Sun 7 Feb 10
'Ello Guv'ner, where you from? Eduaction? ere's some free money, don't worry about giving it back. Like me sheepskin and me flat cap?
newyear
says...
2:35pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Redfox
says...
8:45pm Sun 7 Feb 10
What if these stalls, still I presume deemed unauthorised, or set-up in an unauthorised position in the 'town square area', cause delay to an emergency evacuation of the Mall?
Who would shoulder the blame for endangering the public in reaching safety?
The same reasoning can - and should, be applied to those people who stand just outside the doors (of the Mall) smoking. There are signs in place stating it is not allowed. They TOO are endangering the safe and expeditious evacuation of the premises should the need arise.
I shall be raising these issues at the next WWCC meeting in March.
Techno2
says...
9:12pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Redfox wrote:Once people start quoting health and safety, you know the argument is won.
Has anybody considered the health and safety aspect? What if these stalls, still I presume deemed unauthorised, or set-up in an unauthorised position in the 'town square area', cause delay to an emergency evacuation of the Mall? Who would shoulder the blame for endangering the public in reaching safety? The same reasoning can - and should, be applied to those people who stand just outside the doors (of the Mall) smoking. There are signs in place stating it is not allowed. They TOO are endangering the safe and expeditious evacuation of the premises should the need arise. I shall be raising these issues at the next WWCC meeting in March.
Who will shoulder the blame? Why does anyone need to be blamed? Nothing bad has happened, nothing bad is likely to happen, if a few people who happen are allowed to have a few stalls now and then. It doesn't need a craven appeal for the seal of approval from some pompous health and safety person to know that.
After all, the Mall has been designed to be safe. We also know the council is not worried about health and safety - they have already said that what they are after is money and a sense of control. The enforcement officers yesterday who did not do any 'enforcing' also did not express any concerns about health and safety.
When will people start behaving like adults and acknowledge that being grown up means not looking round for crutches to lean on and asking for permission from people all the time? Why not just acccept that most groups are responsible human beings who can be trusted to get out of the way if there ever were a reason to have to do that (such as a fire and if lives were at stake) and let them do what they and many other groups, including incidentally, the Labour Party and our own elected MP, Neil Gerrard, have themselves been doing for years.
newyear
says...
10:35am Mon 8 Feb 10
e responsibility have gone out the window!
RichieA70
says...
2:25pm Mon 8 Feb 10
Walthamster
says...
5:22pm Mon 8 Feb 10
West Walthamstow has many serious problems. Please don't waste Community Council time on this.
Techno2 says...
1:36pm Sun 7 Feb 10