PledgeBank United States
I’ll do it, but only if you’ll help

Pledge “protest”

"I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people will join in."

— Richard (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: 15^th January 2007
1,487 people signed up, 4513 more were needed

Country: United Kingdom

More details
The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) bans the right of protest (unless it is cleared by a commissioner 6 days in advance) within a 1km radius of the UK's seat of government. The area covers the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, most government ministries, St Thomas's Hospital, part of the South Bank and Lambeth Palace.

As such the zone presents a threat to freedom of speech in that it prevents people's voices being heard by those who make our laws. Since it would be illegal to protest about this the zone, the pledge aims to organise a 100% legal protest just outside the zone.

You can read the full text of the act here: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/200...

For any press enquiries contact Nicola on 07855 384548

Comments on this pledge

Because there are so many comments, only the most recent 50 are shown on this page.

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• This is a great idea. But... not everyone is online you know; at least 50% of Brits still get all their news in other ways.
  
  You need to publicise this through other channels, and enable people to sign up in other ways. Example: at the Stop the War march on Saturday. Then, you might get 6000.. or more. But you'd better change your strategy... fast.
  Online Observer, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• What a marvellous example has been set by our comrades in Paris this week-end.
  Vive le revolution
  Are you watching Tony Blair???????
  Sir Arthur Grebe-Streebling, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• People were signing a petition for an Inquiry into the Iraq war by text message at and after yesterday's Stop the War Coalition demonstration.
  
  Why not set up a system that enables people to sign up to the "Human Chain" pledge by text message?
  Online Observer, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• "Online Observer"...
  I think this is unrelated to any stop the war movement? I'm sure there will be an obvious overlap in attendees, but isn't this a right to protest?
  
  Also, the text message is a good idea; it's already setup though. If you sign up for this, you'll be given information on it.
  Waxy_Dan, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• I know a lot of people who would get involved and sing! But I would want to give them some more info about when etc. I will forward the pledge but I think something else is needed
  Olivia McDermott-Roe, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• The flyers at http://www.pledgebank.com/protest/flyers explain how to sign up by text. Print them out and get people to use them!
  Francis Irving, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Even if we do not reach 6000, we should easily reach 1000 and that's not bad.
  we need to agree on a location and time. Richard, get organising.
  Leonie your link seemed to be broken.
  
  What's important is we turn up and protest in a totally peaceful way.
  For me this will be a double protest as I will be taking this opportunity to also protest against ID Cards.
  I will be there, will you?
  Grant, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Grant, I grant you this, you are ardent - though I want to ask you why?
  
  Double protests at one protest to protest not being allowed to protest the infringement on your right to protest? Why not just nonviolently refuse accepting them (ID cards) when they crop up - (if they do), and do what you feel is effective to initiate change now in a small group of 3-6 instead of getting 1,000 or 6,000 to make a change (instead of a point).
  
  Why make a 'big deal-meal' out of a 'snack type issue'? Initiate the change you want to see - why complain to 'your government' if only you would see that you can be an initiator of change yourself.
  
  Why not turn up and do something proactive and nonviolent instead of reactive?
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Grant -- yes, sorry the link is now broken. There was a bit of concern about public access to emails which could be used as evidence if anybody was accused of organising an unauthorised protest.
  
  I'm not quite sure what's being planned at the moment for May 1st though a few ideas have been floated that I've heard of (mentioned at the anti-SOCPA Parliament Sq Picnic). Try asking on peopleincommon@lists.riseup.net, someone who has been involved in planning might be able to give you some more info.
  Leonie, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Hopstubbe - I think this is a big deal, the current governments erosion of our civil liberties is shocking. I believe we have a right to protest (peacefully) when and where we want, I also believe that the government should work for us not the other way around. As for ID cards were are currently wasting hundreds of millions of pounds just preparing for them, don't you think that is a waist of money! Also If you let ID card become compulsorily and then refuse you end up breaking the law and risk fines, prison and restriction of access to services & transportation. Better to nip it in the bud as early as possible.
  
  This protest as I understand it is to surround the no protest zone, which is completely legal but the problem is that we need another 5000 people. Brining in other organisations could well make this workable. Being pro active does not mean being violent.
  Grant, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Please remember the 'mor' part of my name, 'hopstubbe mor',
  
  Dear Grant,
  Indeed you evidently do have a right to protest. Erosion, however is a process not a decision and we ought not to be shocked if people see 'erosion/eroding' occurring.
  
  However, being told not to protest (by a law) is not an erosion especially if it was not really worth having to start with. Since you are so obedient your protest assists the government immensley, they say something you do it and then you complain that government told you what to do in the first place from a position of being obedient eh!!?
  
  It to others credit that they have not flooded to your aid to join in 'protesting', from outside a perimeter zone that you 'can' protest from.
  
  Why do you really think protest is proactive? It is not, it comes after something is declared, it reacts to it it does not initiate its own changes. The government will not listen to your reactive protests as like weedkiller on some types of weeds they have grown a tolerance, they are immune.
  
  They like to tolerate protest they will tolerate your complaints about ID cards - though hopefully they will work out for themselves that they are likely to be unworkable and too costly.
  
  If we choose to 'disobey' when the time comes and go to prison in the process we will I reckon be more effective than if we protest about them. Six people doing so will count more than six thousand protesters outside a who are allowed to protest, or 600 who are not allowed to and still do.
  
  Nonviolence is creative and proactive it sees connections between nonviolent calm interventions court and prison that matter.
  
  There is nothing wrong with going to prison for the right type of conviction. There are unjust laws that need to be disobeyed, policies that need to be ignored and restituition fines which ought not to be paid as they focus on the problems not the solutions.
  
  Protest appeals to governement to change something for us which we often will not do ourselves, when protesters get everso frustrated then for a few protest may turn to violence.
  
  Proactive Nonviolence is less likely to get you frustrated (in the same way) though it is possible that it would cost more to follow through.
  
  Why surround a zone legally, its like threatening to dip your toe in the sea - despite being in a swimsuit and yet never doing it.
  
  I reckon it would be more likely that 6000 would turn up for a protest than to dip in the sea now - though the sea would be more refreshing than to be a protester.
  
  Read 'anti mass', check it out on the internet. Numbers dont matter that much really.
  
  Hopstubbe mor
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Love to you all.
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• To Hopstubbe Mor in particular, but to everybody,
  
  I have no illusions about the effectiveness of "legal protest" - 2 million against the war and it went ahead (but it also went ahead despite direct action at bases etc). Let me ask you this though:
  
  When you hear on the news that the people of Fascistan have stormed the presidential palace and deposed the dictator, do you think it was advertised in advance with flyers saying "Tue 31st Feb 13:00 meet in Plaza del Bush to storm presidential palace and depose dictator"? No, there would have been calls for a peaceful vigil outside the palace or something equally innocuous and then one thing would have lead to another.
  
  The problem with "protesters" is not that they protest, but rather a lack of imagination which causes them to assume that what happens at the protest is restricted to what is advertised in advance. Nobody has to follow the script. An affinity group might decide to move into the zone and force the police to either ignore the silly law or attempt mass arrests. And what better opportunity to do so than when there are 6,000 people right there who might be inspired to join them or de-arrest them or whatever.
  
  Or then again it might be a nice chilled out legal protest with no arrests, after which I retire to the nearest park for a picnic with the rest of the chain gang and get involved in a discussion which leads to more effictive forms of action in the future.
  
  Or then again I might just have a really nice day out and (weather permitting) play some games in the park, listen to some tunes and catch a few rays. Whatever happens it's all good:-)
  
  Dissing "other people's" actions is easy. At least people are pledging to do something rather than sit on their arse watching TV. They should be applauded and encouraged, we only learn by experience.
  
  I don't get frustrated by the lack of "success" of protests. In terms of the reasons I attend them they are generally successful, even though they seldom achieve their *stated* goals.
  
  Ian
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Dear Ian,
  
  I do not 'diss' your action - and as yet you have NOT acted, I challenge you to look back and see where I do this. Promising to complain from a safe zone will surely be fun. Protests are often fun - like going out and getting drunk can be fun, or going to watch football can be fun. Or dressing up as adults can be fun - (I prefer the latter - though with serious intent).
  
  Sitting on our arses and watching tv is problary as effective as protest (hey and Ive done my bit), however I do not advocate for myself a sitting on my/our arses stance.
  
  Sometimes we can forget to learn by experience, after all Ian you start your writing by reminding us '2 million against the war and it went ahead'. Actually the direct action (nonviolent of course) in some cases did more to stop bits of the war occurring, the planes transformed with hammers, the the sugar in the petrol tanks of vehicles that stoppped the planes flying etc this caused much delay.
  
  Condalesa Rice also welcomed your protests today when she said: "People have the right to protest. That's what democracy is all about," ( see http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6... ) she said in Blackburn, with Straw at her side.
  
  Initiate transformation in little bits if necessary it all matters the crumbs of transformation are worth more than the whole biscuit of protest.
  
  Why not a few of you get your heads together and cook up your own proactive biscuit - so something which changes, challenges and shows how you want it to be.
  
  As for me I will be sitting in court or maybe on my way to another country to do some transforming of our own, you are all welcome to join us - contact asap if interested - you will need a passport. Protesters need not apply. If you do manage to cook up a proactive plot, then I might consider meeting up with you - though we would have to meet in a cafe, in disguise, wink wink.
  
  Love to all.
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Dear Hopstubbe Mor,
  
  You have not "dissed" my action because it is not my action. However, you do seem to be doing your best to dissuade others from signing this pledge and as such you are not being proactive. You are not even being reactive - you are being double reactive by reacting to a reaction (reminds me of a line from a Bauhaus song?). Of course you could then accuse me of being triple reactive on the same grounds:-)
  
  But unless you want to sign the bloody pledge and help persude others to sign it then I really don't know what you are doing posting comments here. Much as Condi grits her teeth and smiles and praises all the cute little demonstrators excercising their democratic rights, you know as well as I do that she would rather not be forced to cancel appearances due to so called "security concerns" which are nothing of the sort (they are PR concerns - it is bad PR having to deploy a phalanx of heavies to protect you from an angry banner waving crowd when you are just trying to pay a friendly visit to the local mosque). If nobody turned out to protest you can be sure as shit she would use it as a propaganda weapon - "Look, no protestors - the people of Liverpool clearly all agree with the policies of the Bush administration!"
  
  But as I said, for me it is not important whether Blair takes any notice of the proposed action because he won't (he has far more important things to worry about, like being dragged into Italian corruption scandals etc). What is important is that people who feel stongly about a political issue get together and have the experience of doing something collectively in the streets - even if it is "only" symbolic. Just because you eventually became disillusioned with protesting does not mean that it was not an essential part of your political development.
  
  Anyway, it is not like this is going to detract from any of the other actions that are being planned for May Day in London. On the contrary, the more people turn up for this the more successful any other actions are likely to be. If you have something better to do that day then I wish you the best of luck with it.
  
  Peace,
  Ian
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Dialogue Ian, is a wonderful thing.
  
  What has been good for me is that there has been some talking 'it' through and some dialogue was forthcoming - I want to thankyou for your part in this and also others to. I intended to initiate dialogue - that is all; unless of course MORE turned up.
  
  What I would change is that I would like to be there in a proactive way with others and as so many are addicted to protest, I guess I do not plan now to be there. I do not want to go to the wrong occasion rather than growing disgruntled I've grown excited and intrigued about initiating what I want to see - with others so would not want to go alone and act alone.
  
  What will I take away after this dialogue is that passion is often misplaced and classical approaches to politics are not addressing the issues - compassion however must be carefully placed and pledging may be a cheap way of feeling you have done it, and it may not - it depends.
  
  If others are dissuaded from taking part it will not help to blame me, the cat, the weather or the police, rather we must learn to reflect on our own methods and your own meanings for doing stuff, as reflection is also a wonderful thing.
  
  Wholeness to you all.
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• The best thing people can do is get to London tomorrow (Sunday 2nd April) for the mass disobedience at Parliament Square. This pledge has become one of many distractions. COME TO LONDON, PARLIAMENT SQUARE TOMORROW OR ELSE JUST FORGET IT AND DO SOME THING ELSE.
  Glenn, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• infiltration is the key! here on the 120th anniversary of the haymarket martyrs!:
  http://www.precarity.info/
  john the blaster acid master, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• oh and some history here!
  http://rwor.org/a/may1/haymark.htm
  john the blaster acid master, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Is this happening or not? Here is what we know:
  
  The target is highly unlikely to be met by the deadline but a significant number of people have signed the pledge and many will be keen to take part in some sort of action on May 1st.
  
  One possibility that has been suggested is for a "beating the bounds" tour around the perimeter of the zone, which would be possible with even a very small group of people.
  
  There are at least two other things happening on May Day in London which may be of interest to people who have signed this pledge:
  
  1) Critical Mass bike ride meeting 11am under Waterloo Bridge South Side. There is no predetermined route but there will probably a picnic stop somewhere.
  
  2) TUC march meeting 12 noon at Clerkenwell Green and scheduled to reach Trafalgar Square for a rally at 2:30pm. This year there will be an autonomous bloc on the march.
  
  If I were organising the pledge action I would be trying to make it fit in with these other events in some way. One possibility would be to draw people from the rally as it starts to break up, although that has certain logistical problems all of it's own. I would also be looking to distribute a flyer at the Critical Mass meeting point.
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• If everyone who signed turns up with another five people, we'd be pretty close to the target of 6000.
  
  I agree, Ian, that the organiser should coordinate with other peaceful groups planning to protest that day.
  Online Observer, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• We would happily cover this as a news item if someone would write a good article about this, then we will include a link for people to sign up at the end of the article. Article can be collaborated on with others helping you or submitted in full, see options at http://www.mathaba.net/add
  Mathaba News, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• I am compelled to comment on the recent email sent out to all signers by the creator of this pledge (Richard). As early as December someone submitted a comment asking if the action would occur on May Day. Richard failed to clarify and since he was not taking an active role others started tentatively planning things based on the assumption that it would. Still Richard maintained his silence. Then with just 10 days to go he basically tells us that the pledge was never intended to occur on May Day.
  
  As one of the pledge signers I am opposed to extending the deadline for this pledge. Anyone is of course free to start a new pledge with a similar aim but we already have an idea of the level of support to expect so I don't really see the point.
  
  It is good to know that there are (seemingly) nearly 1000 people who would be willing to make the effort to form part of a human chain. If any of you are interested in taking action on this issue in the future I would recommend checking out www.peopleincommon.org, joining the mailing list, and getting down to Parliament Square as often as possible (particularly on Sundays at 1pm if you want to meet other activists and help plan future actions).
  
  Peace,
  Ian
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Richard has contacted me regarding my objection (see previous comment) and I gave him a call to chat about it. We had a useful discussion but there were still some significant differences of opinion.
  
  If at any point I become aware of a concrete plan to attempt to form a human chain around the exclusion zone in protest against section 132 of SOCPA then I will make an effort to be a part of it, regardless of the status of this pledge. Of course I can not commit to taking part in a specific attempt without advance knowledge of the date and I only signed the pledge based on the assumption that it would occur on May Day.
  
  If the deadline is extended I think that effectively turns it into a new pledge, to which existing signatories should no longer feel bound. However, if PledgeBank are OK with it, and Richard still feels that it is the right thing to do, I have no wish to block the move.
  
  So, subject to the above reservations, I withdraw my objection.
  
  By the way, I took part in the anti-SOCPA/Reclaim St George Weekend and have written up a report:
  
  www.zenatode.org.uk/ian/reports/runnymed...
  
  Peace,
  Ian
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Decisionmaking in large groups is such a hard thing to do.
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Thanks Ian!
  
  Richard
  Richard, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Richard consulted with all the people who signed the pledge, and they agreed to allow extension of the deadline. The pledge now runs until mid-January 2007. It original ran until the start of May 2006.
  Francis Irving (mySociety), 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• "I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people will join in."
  
  — Richard
  
  Well 6,000 people din't sign up but almost a thousand did and judging from the comments were more than up for some kind of naughtiness come mayday.
  
  But it appear the mysterious Richard has sent an e-mail to one and all saying that this action will now not be happening on mayday. A comment left on the site reads
  
  "As early as December someone submitted a comment asking if the action would occur on May Day. Richard failed to clarify and since he was not taking an active role others started tentatively planning things based on the assumption that it would. Still Richard maintained his silence. Then with just 10 days to go he basically tells us that the pledge was never intended to occur on May Day."
  
  The pledge is to be extended until next January by which time SOCPA will have been extended to the whole of the inside of the M25 and the void will probably be writing this from a work camp.
  
  After all, why take this action on mayday, when the police resources will be stretched thinly, journos are everywhere and there'll be thousands on the streets who may be able to help.
  
  We think it's a cop out, and wondors if Richard's been got at.
  
  The void calls all disaffected pledgebankers to join the autonomous bloc on the TUC march. Meet at 12 noon, Clerkenwell Green EC1.
  
  http://www.ourmayday.org.uk
  jv, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Is the SOCPA Designated Area actually bigger than we have assumed ?
  
  http://www.spy.org.uk/parliamentprotest/...
  Peaceful Demonstrator, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• "The void" appears to be engaging in unseemly activist poaching:-) There are a number of events happening on May Day in London which all have some merit. The one which appears to be most relevent to this pledge is the "Beating the Bounds" event, assembling in Trafalgar Square at noon (which might arrive back at Trafalgar Square around the same time as the TUC march?)
  
  Wild speculation that Richard has been "got at" is unhelpful. He should have clarified the date issue when it arose back in December but the fact that he didn't does not imply malice.
  
  So yes, the Autonomous Bloc on the TUC march is certainly another option, but then so is the bike ride assembling under Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank at 11am or the Space Hijackers street party outside the Bank of England at 2pm (uniformed officers only). There are plenty of activists to go round - no need to get all competitive about it:-)
  
  Best of luck to everyone planning to turn out on May Day, whatever they decide to do.
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Shame that the protest didn't get off the mark. I was going to give it some coverage in a website I am building on free speech. Perhaps now I will be writing about the lack of solidarity or support for the right to protest and against the government's new draconain anti-protest laws.
  
  It seems that with so many events in London on May Day, your voice was drowned out by all the others.
  
  The comment above about using different channels to get the message out is a valid one. For example, by text, or at other similar events with leaflets and a megaphone perhaps.
  
  Good luck with forthcoming events.
  
  Josie
  Josie, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Did anything happen with the pledge?
  I was at a emerging artistic talent event in Southampton and it was wild, creating jobs, community etc.
  
  Now is the time to reflect on efficacy, or are people scared to do so.
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Hopstubbe Mor asked "Did anything happen with this pledge?"
  
  As you well know the deadline was extended till Jan 15th 2007 so we will just have to wait and see won't we?
  
  As to the "Beating the Bounds" action on May Day, a friend has reported that only 14 people took part and that they were very heavily policed. I was otherwise occupied, see my May Day report:
  
  http://www.zenatode.org.uk/ian/reports/m...
  
  Peace,
  Ian
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Well, it seems to me that January is too far off. Who can really say with any real conviction where they will be by January. I for one agree to this pledge at the later date, but anything could happen in my life between now and then. It also seems rather a slow response to the political situation. How many more equally essential political issues have and will arise in the course of the coming year? Talking of which is everybody going to renew their passports this month? Protest to the new ID cards, this will help slow your personal initiation to the full on scheme (the deity-within(that-be-I) help-me, so to speak ;) if the worst happens and this disgraceful guise for socialism (that is a Blair of petrol poured upon the burning Bush of Nazism that we all have front row seats for, watch thy planet burn before your very eyes with the ultimate finale when the audience is sucked into the very same oblivion) gets it's way and forces this abomination into existence, then I'd rather put off my seclusion from society for not carrying an ID card for as long as possible... Re: http://www.no2id.net/
  
  No doubt I am babbling and making little sense whilst attempting to preach to the converted!? So apologises abound! ;) (excuse the lack of breath/commas also)
  Anthony Wiegold, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• You know, this pledge is a nice idea and all but it won't work (they'll ignore you).
  What I would instead suggest is civil disobediance as it'll get more attention. No not violence. See:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disob...
  
  Basically several thousand people just walk across the zone whilst protesting loudly thus breaking the law but seeing as it's not harming anyone and there arn't 6000 free jail cells in london it's not likely they're going to be able to do much to stop it.
  
  It worked for Ghandi.
  A B, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• To A B,
  
  Civil disobedience eh? Nice idea, when are you going to do it? Of course there have already been numerous acts of civil disobedience in relation to s132. Last September a letter from Superintendent Gomm, distributed to Critical Mass riders, warned people specifically against entering the exclusion zone. On the Halloween Mass 1,200 cyclists, many of whom were clearly protesting, ignored the warning and rode to Parliament Square. Once in the square they stopped for about 20 minutes, blocked traffic, danced to a samba band and operated a soundsystem (use of loudspeakers is banned by s132) - the police made no arrests and the media basically ignored it. The BBC had said they would send a crew to cover it but backed off at the last minute, citing "technical problems" with their outside broadcast unit. Also, the Met apparently contacted the BBC shortly before the ride and told them that they did not have a problem with it after all!!!
  
  If you are organising a mass act of civil disobedience then good luck to you - but I don't see what it has got to do with this pledge.
  Ian Gregory, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• You can do it. Show the Nazi police state that state sponsored terrorism won't work.
  
  ========================================
  http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/jun...
  Former CIA Analyst Says Iran Strike Set For June Or July
  
  McGovern: Staged terror attacks across Europe, US "probable" in order to justify invasion.
  
  Former CIA analyst and Presidential advisor Ray McGovern, fresh from his heated public confrontation with Donald Rumsfeld, fears that staged terror attacks across Europe and the US are probable in order to justify the Bush administration's plan to launch a military strike against Iran, which he thinks will take place in June or July.
  ========================================
  
  Protest anywhere you like - if there are many of us little can be done other than police brutality or military intervention.
  
  Do even communist of other fascist regimes have protest exclusion zones?
  
  http://www.prisonplanet.tv
  New World Order Activist, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• We have freedom and old laws that state this. It is called the Magna Carta and the government can be taken out of power with this document under law.
  
  (The year) 1215 Magna Carta origin of modern Democracy.
  
  The Magna Carta features in the U.S. Constitution and in Australian laws as well as many other countries that have democracy or are now showing interest in it go by the Magna Carta still.
  
  We must defend our freedom because it is not free and must be constantly fought for when we have tyrannical criminals in power as we have done throughout history.
  
  Never vote for the EU constitution should the time come again which allows modern torture techniques and interrogation.
  
  Defend our old laws that once made this country free.
  
  Surrendering freedom and liberty is not the answer for a false sense of security and a police state.
  New World Order Activist, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• 'Defending our freedom' is problary as meaningful as 'fighting our peace' would be, if any of it made sense. Fighting for freedom is like sucking blood out of a person / animal so as to make it live / or make life occur. Anyway for what is freedom, surely not whinging about the injustices and sadnesses of life? Freedom is for......(please finish this sentence).
  
  Overlooking, or underlooking, or sideways looking, or Ignoring laws/policies/dictates for higher purposes, ie above what is designated by those you perceive to be in power; is better than any rant, any problem we perceive to hard because of it.
  
  Protest (a word for all types of oppositional beliefs and behaviours) continues to be futile and strengthens the people who most people think govern, currently the Labour party are 'it'. Well let the oddities & freaks and outcasts consider themselves to be government, we who have a high liking and taste for nonviolence and creativity, with a high regard for the marginalised and impoverished. We are not any better than them, we are differant that's all and we and them we ought to work to make us.
  
  Lets ensure our nonviolent calm interventions are focussed at delivering clear messages, bringing about proactive change - not the muddling, high profile mass actions without a clear purpose / goal that some promote.
  
  Rather lets subvert and conspire without dynamite, play and fool with alternate meanings for others wholeness (and maybe some others will care to do the same for us).
  
  Ignore SOCPA dont pander to it. It is nought other than an obstacle. Conspire again I say, do not be afraid, face your fears and be fully accountable as you can for your own actions/nonviolent events, not as you cant. Be prepared to give up more privelage as so many inspiring ones do do.
  
  If you choose violence then do also be fully accountable, life will be harder/harsher and you may learn the harder way that this is not a way of doing things well/qualitiatively. Hurt people, hurt people. (This is my view and violence is not in any way advocated by this writer).
  
  Now I talk too much, so I am going to take the art of listening up, and hopefully wink more with some of you in the future.
  
  yours truly, wink wink,
  
  Hopstubbe Mor
  Your reflections welcomed, I will not criticise them.
  Hopstubbe Mor, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Thought some of you might like to know that there's an online petition in support of stopping Gary McKinnon being Extradited to the United States under the new one sided fast track extradition treaty.
  This so called treaty has only been signed by the UK and not by the US.
  
  Gary's crime was trespassing (some say hacking) into the Pentagon's computers.
  
  Please help to keep Gary in the United Kingdom.
  
  Lucy
  
  http://www.petitiononline.com/AAA12345/p...
  
  www.freegary.org.uk
  Lucille, 3 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• OK, so if signup rates happen as they have for the last week, we're only going to get about a third of the number of people needed. And we do need 6000 people to form the ring.
  
  Practical ideas everyone. What can we do to get lots more people to sign this pledge? What can you do right now?
  Francis Irving, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Well, six people here have signed my popular pledge, boycott Israel (popular because if you look at www.pledgebank.com, it usually has the most comments).
  
  You are welcome to advertise for signatories in my pledge, as someone just did for a Srilankan pledge, which I also signed.
  
  I would also suggest a dummy run, where as many people as possible attend, place ourselves around the perimeter, and show that we cannot join hands. Tell media etc what its all about and hope they cover the story on TV. Use megaphones and see if the protest can be heard at Westminster. Make the point of emphasising the fact that your protest will be 100% legal. I did not quite understand that when I first skimmed over this pledge.
  
  Dress up as prisoners maybe, to show what will happen if you take a step too close.
  
  Also take note of this: http://www.saveparliament.org.uk/problem.... Scary huh? If it is true, and that gets through, someone like John Prescott may decide to increase the range to 1.1Km, if he is in a bad mood.
  Steve, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Regarding Steve's "dry run" idea, it seems it could safely occur within the zone, aiming to surround as big an area as possible. The police would have no power to intervene since people would not actually be protesting, merely practicing.
  
  Which reminds me of an interesting idea I once read regarding those signs in airports warning against making jokes about bombs in your luggage. If you said "If I were to make a joke about there being a bomb in my luggage you would have to take it seriously wouldn't you?" what would happen?
  Ian Gregory, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• nice pledge !
  ed, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Dear Richard and the SOCPA Protest,
  
  http://www.millioncampaignhomepage.net
  
  We would like to invite you to a link at our new website, the Million Campaign Homepage.
  
  We are giving away 1,000,000 pixels to 1,600 co-operative and not-for-profit groups working within and from the UK who are furthering social and environmental harmony.
  
  There are full details of how to get involved in the 'FAQ' and 'Order Pixels' sections of the site. All we require is a logo or Favicon.
  
  Please email uksolidarity@gmail.com
  
  In solidarity,
  
  Matthew Edwards
  THE MILLION CAMPAIGN HOMEPAGE FOUNDATION
  Matthew Edwards, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Sadly I cannot sign as I am unable to travel to London on the day in question - I think it's disgraceful ina 'free' society for areas to be off-limits to those wishing to protest peacefully.
  I'll spread the word and I hope the chain takes place!
  owen, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• This has all become irrelevent. Has anyone not been keeping uptodate with things at Parlaiment Square? I withdraw my pledge.
  Former Pledger, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• To "Former Pledger" - you mean they have repealed s132 without me hearing about it??? Seriously, I am reasonably well informed about court cases etc and nothing significant has changed as far am I as aware but since you give no indication of what you allege to have changed there is no way for me to confirm or deny it.
  Ian Gregory, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• http://www.ukrslovo.net
  seva, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!
• The flyers at http://www.pledgebank.com/protest/flyers explain how to sign up by text. Print them out and get people to use them!
  zahnschutz, 2 years ago. Abusive? Report it!