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>>Any tie that could be used to secure the pole on a placard to something could obviously be used by protestors to lock their own body to the same thing Nonsen
by gambiting 4y ago
>>Any tie that could be used to secure the pole on a placard to something could obviously be used by protestors to lock their own body to the same thing
Nonsense, all you need to tie a sign to a pole is a piece of string that wouldn't hold a human body. If they want to keep that legislation in it should be specific - things like handcuffs, heavy chains with padlocks.....even that I think is an overreach, but it would be better than whatever the law says now.
- cesaref 4y agoExactly - if you take too broad a view, then the protesters having arms and fingers could be considered devices for 'locking on' to something. Personally I think this has generated renewed interest and publicity for the republican movement, which means in a way, the protest has been a success due to the police action.
- Symbiote 4y agoThe law says there's an offence "attach themselves to another person, to an object or to land" — which could include holding hands — but for "being equipped" it needs to be an object: "A person commits an offence if they have an object with them in a place other than a dwelling with the intention that it may be used in the course of or in connection with the commission by any person of an offence under section 1(1) (offence of locking on)." I'll not be at all surprised if later this year the Metropolitan Police arrest protesters from linking arms while surrounding a building or blocking a road.