5:53pm Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Carl Brown
THE council will prosecute campaigners if its by-laws are “consistently flouted”, a spokesman has said following Saturday's demonstration in the town square.
The Socialist and Green Parties erected stalls in defiance of the council's recent threatened enforcement of a 104-year-old by-law preventing tables being set up without permission.
A council spokesman said: “The town square is booked by organisations for a variety of purposes and the money raised through hire is invested in council services.
"It is important the space is formally booked for public liability and safety purposes and also to ensure that organisations who wish to hold an event in the town square do not encroach onto previously booked events.
"We have no desire to prosecute people for breach of our by laws but if they are consistently flouted and ignore repeated warnings we will."
The authority wants activists to sign an agreement and pay a daily rate of between £50 and £100 before erecting their stalls.
This is despite political and religious groups campaigning in the town square for years without hassle from the authorities.
Sarah Sachs-Eldrige, of the Socialist Party, said of the council's position: “This is absolutely outrageous.
“We are not going to back down in our campaign for freedom of speech and of assembly.”
Activists are organising a day of action in the town square to campaign for freedom of speech.
This will take place on March 6 from noon.
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