Useful resources/sites

contact your MP
critiques of SOCPA in response to the Government's consultation paper
useful articles
useful website
Government documents
See 'the law' for details on SOCPA legislation

Contact your MP

Responses to the Government's consultation paper

Responses critical of SOCPA:

repeal-socpa.info briefing paper html pdf (162kb)

Baroness Miller, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Home Affairs (pdf 146kb)

Liberty pdf

an amusing (but deadly serious!) submission from Bloggerheads

Short film of MPS and other participant in freedom to Protest delegation, Jan 08

And those that want more repressive measures - read them and weep:

Metropolitan Police's response

Greater London Authority's response

Westminster City Council's response

Useful articles

Freedom to Protest: What Does the Proposed Repeal of Sections 132-38 of SOCPA Really Mean?
30 April 2008, Campaign for Free Assembly

Preserving disorder: freedom to protest and the future of SOCPA
Article on the continuing increase in police powers to control free speech.
16 November 2007, Indymedia

Timeline of SOCPA events - protests, arrests, convictions etc

Double jeopardy: newly proposed laws threaten even more police power
Read this Schnews article for a summary of how the consultation could be less about repealing SOCPA and more about a wholesale redrafting of public order legislation that could see freedom of assembly restricted everywhere.
23 November 2007

Protest as harassment
George Monbiot's analysis of how SOCPA will criminalise protest in different situations.
22 February 2005, The Guardian

Internment Is New Tactic To Deal With Animal Rights Movement
How SOCPA is being used to clampdown on animal rights campaigns.
18 January 2008, Schnews

Campaigning and the law - some recent developments in criminal law
A summary (Oct 05) of recent developments affecting protest - SOCPA and other
October 2005, Freedom to Protest conference

Guide to Possible Offences
A summary (May 06) of offences related to protest - SOCPA and other
Activists' Legal Project, May 2006

Useful websites

The Campaign for Free Assembly - a group of individuals campaigning against the existing legislation restricting our freedom to assemble and the continued police repression of protest. Some interesting analysis. http://www.freedomofassembly.blogspot.com/

Indymedia - coverage of SOCPA related issues including comment, protests, arrests, convictions etc:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2006/socpa/

Parliament Protest blog - useful collection of material about the restrictions on protest around Parliament:
http://www.parliamentprotest.org.uk/

Liberty - see the human rights campaign group's website for their work on SOCPA
http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/issues/6-free-speech/socp-act/index.shtml

Freedom to Protest - a website established for a conference in 2005 and full of useful info
http://www.freedomtoprotest.org.uk

Activists' Legal Project - a very useful resource for anyone taking action
http://www.activistslegalproject.org.uk

Brian Haw's website - for history and analysis of SOCPA as the legislation went through Parliament and how the law has affected his protest.
http://www.parliament-square.org.uk/

Mark Thomas's website - details of the Mass Lone Protests and other SOCPA related actions
http://www.markthomasinfo.com/

Films: "SOCPA – the Movie"; "Taking Liberties"

Government Documents

See 'the law' for more details on SOCPA legislation

Government public consultation on 'Managing Protests Around Parliament'
October 2007

'The Governance of Britain – Analysis of Consultations'
March 2008

'The Governance of Britain – Constitutional Renewal'
White Paper, March 2008

Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill
March 2008