Nine arrested after protest at identity cards meeting
Nine arrested after pro-*test*-('") at Minister’s identity cards meeting Pro-*test*-('")ors campaigning against the introduction of ID cards were held by police yesterday following an alleged disturbance at an event staged by Home Office Minister Meg Hillier. Nine people were arrested for alleged breach of the peace offences at the event at a hotel in central Edinburgh, police said. The incident happened at a meeting for representatives of businesses and service providers, including local authorities and charities, a Westminster spokesman said. Among those arrested was Geraint Bevan, NO2ID Scotland co-ordinator, who had earlier accused the Home Office of refusing to listen to the public on the issue. He said that the ID database will result in "a massive erosion of privacy for individuals". He claimed campaigners and "ordinary members of the public" were not allowed to attend the meeting and that it was not a genuine public consultation. <snip> Guy Herbert of NO2ID said last night: "Regardless of whether anybody is charged it is an extraordinary action for the police to take. NO2ID is an entirely peaceful and lawful organisation. It looks like someone has been arrested simply to avoid embarrassing a minister. It shows the need for people to pro-*test*-('") even more." Green MSP Patrick Harvie, a long-standing opponent to ID cards, said: "All the way along the government has been trying to conduct not public consultation but private consultation. "There is no other word than sham for a public consultation exercise held behind closed doors where the public are excluded." <snip> http://tinyurl.com/4e5cbe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the above article Meg Hillier claims that she offered to meet with NO2ID. In reality, she has ignored repeated requests to engage in a public meeting with Geraint Bevan or anybody from NO2ID. Additionally, she refused to allow anybody from NO2ID to be present at yesterday's (not for the public) public meeting. Of course, it comes as no surprise that a Labour government Minister is dishonest, but to lie in such a brazen manner is just disgraceful. Geraint Bevan had this to say regarding the pro-*test*-('"): Nine of us have been charged for breach of the peace. Eight for causing "alarm and distress" for walking into the hotel wearing white suits and masks (despite two of them actually wearing unmasked East German border guard uniforms), and me for "alarm and disturbance" for infiltrating the meeting, putting my hand up to speak, taking the microphone when offered, speaking, and refusing to leave immediately while speaking after the minister requested that I do so. Of the eight, one is a young lady who walked in after everyone else with a young child. The idea that she might have alarmed anyone is ridiculous. Another of the pro-*test*-('")ers was 17, on his first pro-*test*-('"), doing only what I had told him - I'm very annoyed that he has been charged and had to spend a day in the cells at St Leonards. There was a bit of heavy handed policing (they were responding to a 999 call and didn't know what they were facing) but it calmed down instantly the moment one of them realised they were being filmed by professionals and warned his colleagues. All pro-*test*-('")ers were entirely peaceful at all times. I must emphasise that once the police realised that there actually wasn't any danger, they were all entirely courteous and professional throughout for the rest of the day. We still have to decide whether to file a complaint against the officer who ripped a mask of the face of a pro-*test*-('")er. He seemed a decent and friendly chap when I spoke to him later. The police have told us that after speaking to groups of people inside, no one has any complaints about our conduct inside, there is no suggestion that we were anything other than peaceful. It is the "alarm" that has led to the charges "masked people in today's climate ...". Given that we had negotiated with the hotel manager to film an interview with STV inside (possibly after the 999 call had been made - that is still to be established), and were on our way out when the police arrived, I am surprised at the charges. However, STV caught almost everything (except my contribution to the consultation) on camera. They followed the costumed pro-*test*-('")ers in, filmed them trying to negotiate entry, caught me being thrown out, an interview with me, our attempted departure, followed by the arrival of the police. Apparently we have made the main news programme, but couldn't see it ourselves. We have all been bailed to appear before Edinburgh Sheriff's court on 24 July. I fully intend to use the occasion to highlight again how the Home Office are refusing to engage in debate with the public. For clarification, I was not trying to engage in constructive debate inside the consultation. It would have taken hours to counter the nonsense that Meg Hillier was speaking and would have served little purpose. Instead, I concentrated on the fact that we and the general public had been excluded from the process. There were a couple of amusing aspects. When I approached the registration desk just after the event started, I was able to see all the remaining badges and list of names - it was easy to select one. I entered the ID consultation with a newly-acquired false identity. On entering the room, in which a video was playing, I slowly walked around to find the assigned seat for that person. Officials to whom I had been speaking outside appeared not to recognise me. No one challenged my entry as I took a seat. Meanwhile, officials who tackled the costumed pro-*test*-('")ers that tried to follow five minutes later asked the group if Dr Bevan was among them. So, they were looking out for me, but couldn't even spot me walking in late after I had been talking to them earlier. And these people think they are capable of controlling people's identities. Astonishing. Link Local TV coverage