this morning, the high court lifted the injunction against westminster council preventing them from removing the last tent and the large 'peace strike' box from parliament square. police are now in parliament square to enforce the controversial new PASRA law and clear the square before the state opening of parliament next week. [additional pics]

On Tuesday and Wednesday (6-7 March 2012), Maria Gallastegui of Peace Strike brought a Judicial Review of Part III of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 as it relates to a blanket ban on protest camps in Parliament Square.

today and tomorrow are respectively the deadlines for getting your comments in to the two consultations aiming to criminalise protest camps in london.

after a postponed hearing at the high court today, parliament square protestors won the right to sustain their injunction against westminster council, stopping the council from enforcing the new and untested PASRA law to clear tents and other structures from the square. the injunction will run until a further 2-day high court hearing during march, which will effectively decide the legality of the …

despite high court hearings today and the PASRA law effectively on hold, the metropolitan police and westminster council have begun a forceful operation this evening to remove tents and other structures from around the parliament square protest.

this follows on from my earlier piece with more background and history on the parliament square campaigns and the repression towards them, more detail on PASRA and tomorrow's high court case, the extension of the new 'global war on camping' (GWOC) as an assault on the 'occupy' movement, and some ideas of positive actions to take in the immediate future.

Peace Strike Statement From Parliament Square 17th December 2011

The Peace Strike Campaign at Parliament Square announces to all concerned citizens that there is a real possibility of the 'Peace Camp' being disassembled and removed this Monday 19th December 2011.

david cameron's threat to remove protestors from parliament square well before the royal wedding has been thwarted by the high court, who will not hear an obstruction case until may 9th..

the 'police and social responsibility bill' trundles through parliament, filled with clauses clearly designed to rid parliament square of brian haw's decade long peace vigil, with precise legal constructions that overturn years of hard-fought arguments in the high court. but it will not be in place in time for the royal wedding, and cameron has made a pledge that parliament square will be free of …

there have been various promises, and big media stories based on no more than a sentence or two from a dodgy peer - or recent big stories based on a quote by housing minister grant schapps for example, but finally there are some bones on the story that the con-dem government is serious about removing brian haw's 10-year protest from parliament square.

parliament.uk have published a proposed "poli…

yesterday in whitehall the camp was established opposite downing street in direct protest against the continuing afghan war.

last month more than a thousand bombs were dropped by allies over afghanistan, with huge loss of civilian life.

this massacre must end, and the 'white flag revolution' intends to remain opposite downing street until it does.

polls show around 70% of britons want troops out of iraq, but only a few thousand turned up today for the 'stop the war coalition' march and rally in trafalger square. however, as the rally ended, a small band of people walked down whitehall and set up their response to the war pledging to remain outside downing street until the troops come home. now they just need a morsel of support from all tho…

Final call for support for 'White Flag Revolution' protest after the stop the war coalition march tomorrow.

This protest will challenge the government directly over Afghanistan

after this afternoon's 'democracy rally' (indy article), a group of about forty people decided to reoccupy parliament square. fences were dismantled and the security guards' tent was occupied and officially squatted. there were two arrests for alleged criminal damage, but the space was held for nearly six hours before guards man-handled protestors out after the police had left.



see past reports on …

today, with little media attention, and little protest apart from a courageous banner drop in parliament grounds, MPs voted to continue the occupation of afghanistan, as is.

business as usual.

the two protestors who yesterday eluded security to climb the scaffolding at the front of parliament have now been told they can remain until the afghanistan debate is over

two protestors climbed up on the scaffolding at the front of parliament (inside the security area) this afternoon.

they are protesting about the afghanistan war prior to a commons debate tomorrow. the STWC have called a protest at noon tomorrow before the debate.

the protestors have vowed to remain on the front of parliament overnight and until the debate (more...) updates: 1 | 2 | 3

yesterday afternoon, citizens from the democracy village held a people's assembly, open to all, in victoria tower gardens next to parliament. this was followed by non-violent direct action to reclaim parliament square and disobey high court injunctions. after dozens of incursions, eventually one person was arrested.

democracy village activists cordially invite all to an open tournament of fence jumping in parliament square

the high court rejected the democracy village appeal this morning. the way is open for bailiffs and police to attempt an eviction. the village has called a people's assembly/peace rally for tomorrow afternoon (saturday)

below is their press release / call-out

Parliament Square Westminster

after the democracy village eviction hearing was adjourned this afternoon at the high court, 3 protestors scaled the building and dropped banners 100 feet above the strand. police are in attendance.

the banners call for peace in afghanistan, no more war, and respect for soldiers but not for war.

the hearing itself was adjourned for further legal arguments and will continue on monday, with a prob…

hearing adjourned till this afternoon. boris dropped part of battle for now.

the democracy village has mounted a legal challenge to their imminent eviction, and it will be heard at the high court next thursday at 10am - supporters are urged to attend in numbers

democracy village activists have scaled big ben and dropped another peace banner this morning

later, activists blocked the front gates of parliament for some time with a large 'soldiers home now' banner, but police re-inforcements finally closed this down mid-afternoon

as parliament was state-opened today, the democracy village carried on with its main campaign to bring the troops home from afghanistan. the papers have gone apoplectic saying there should be no "permament" protest, but as the camp is clearly a protest about an admittedly long, but ongoing issue, there is no reason for the camp to remain indefinitely. with more and more troops coming out and agree…

in another direct action planned from the democracy village, a man climbed onto the treasury building with a banner this morning

guerilla gardening, open mic, music, anarchy and partying on a summer's afternoon

well it's probably not the real actual queen, but it's a chance to put up some pics from this week's actions around parliament square

a long brewing rift between protestors in parliament square has recently emerged very publicly in articles, comments, and malicious disinformation on uk indymedia. the arrival of the democracy village in the square has brought to a head a serious communication breakdown between the 'parliament square peace campaign' which brian haw established almost a decade ago, and the 'peace strike' which is m…