Police riot at protest against Criminal Justice Bill

Wednesday, October 26, 1994 - 10:00

By Chow Wei-Cheng

LONDON — Some 100,000 people marched from Westminster to Hyde Park on October 9 in opposition to the repressive Criminal Justice Bill. The bill is a sharp attack on civil rights and will especially affect young people and protesters. It will give sweeping powers to the police and turn civil offences into criminal offences carrying jail sentences.

Provisions of the bill include:

  • abolishing the right to silence;

  • making trespass a criminal offence;

  • challenging the right to assembly;

  • enabling police to stop and turn back anybody suspected of intending to go to a gathering;

  • new police powers to stop and search vehicles and pedestrians;

  • making squatting a criminal offence;

  • establishing prisons for 12-14 year olds.

  • criminalising "travelling" people;

  • outlawing raves (dances), festivals and other gatherings unless they have police approval.

Composed overwhelmingly of young people who recognised that the bill will outlaw any "alternative" lifestyle, the colourful and energetic march was a sea of placards proclaiming "Kill the bill, the Tories are the criminals" and "Fight for the right to picket, protest, party". People arrived in coaches from many locations, including Scotland.

Paddy Hill, one of the Birmingham Six, and Michael Puddephat from the civil rights group Liberty outlined how the bill would increase police powers.

Speakers from the Anti-Nazi League, the No M1 Link Campaign and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament expressed concern at the bill's implications for the right to protest. From the British Labour Party, MP Tony Benn, Arthur Scargill and MP Garema Carbine spoke out against the Labour leadership's stance on the bill.

Speakers highlighted the attacks on the rights of travellers, squatters and young people in general and how the bill was aimed directly at "marginalised" groups.

From the start of the rally, there was a very strong police presence. After the official proceedings had ended, the police removed the public address system and announced that demonstrators must leave. Police began to taunt and harass people; riot police then attacked.

Police on horseback charged into the crowd. Police blocked the exits to Park Lane from Hyde Park as thousands were trying to make their way back to where they believed their coaches were parked. Many protesters fought back, and the subsequent battles lasted well into the night. Dozens of arrests and injuries were reported.

The following day's media reports were dominated by the "riot", obscuring the real issues. According to a survey in the New Statesman and Society, 55% of those surveyed opposed measures to clamp down on public demonstrations.

The rally was the third against the Criminal Justice Bill in the past few months.

From GLW issue 164