Jenny Jones, London’s Green Deputy Mayor who is also a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority will be asking police to explain what she believe is a bizarre use of legislation designed for use when there is a specific and genuine terrorist threat.
Jenny is working with the civil rights group Liberty who are launching a high court action to protect the right to protest outside the arms fair.
“This is an artful use of legislation that was set up to protect us from terrorism. These laws are not to designed to be used to protect arms dealers displaying their wares in Docklands. The Met Police appear to be overstepping their powers and not sticking to the spirit of what parliament intended. Over-policing is one of my big concerns, I will be using my position on the Police Authority to pose some awkward questions to senior police officers,” said Jenny.
“The misuse of anti-terrorism legislation undermines the fight against terrorism. It is of course ironic that it has been used to suppress peaceful protest against the sort of arms fair at which one of the most feared terrorist weapons, surface to air missiles which can bring down commercial planes, have been bought and sold,” she continued.
“It is abysmal that that we use £1million of precious resources to police this arms fair. It is atrocious that people who rightly believe this fair should not be taking place be arrested just for protesting. It is simply wrong that London is the host of this fair that allows the sale of weapons which will kill hundreds of innocent civilians. People have a legitimate right to protest. I will use everything in my influence to protect this right,” she concluded.
Yesterday, Jenny Jones did an official tour of the arms fair. She revealed she was “shocked and profoundly depressed” by what she saw.
ENDS
Notes for editors:
Hugo Charlton, anti-terrorism legislation expert and Green Party Spokesperson on Home Affairs said “If Section 44 arrest warrants have been issued (as they would be if demanded under Section 45 (5) ) and as is reported, this would be illegal by the police unless the commander who authorised the use of such powers had advised the Secretary of State as is required by Section 46 (3).”