‘That is a dangerous roundabout’: Amess opposes peace camp in Parliament Square

May 27, 2010
By Rachel Charman, Editor

In a speech made during the Debate on the Address on Tuesday, Conservative MP for Southend West David Amess voiced his disapproval for the peace protest on Parliament Square.

Protestors have been camping out on Parliament Square for a number of years, many in opposition to the Iraq war.

Famously, protestor Brian Haw has spent the past seven years camped out on Parliament Square, successfully resisting many legal challenges to his demonstration. Mr Haw was arrested on Tuesday and removed from the area.

Mr Amess said “Of course it is right that people can demonstrate on a range of things, but what is going on on Parliament square at the moment is absolutely insane.

“That is a dangerous roundabout!

“Of course, it was the then Prime Minister Tony Blair who went to America and the White House, one side of which looks marvellous, but on the other side of which are all the demonstrators.

“As I moved into my rather nice new office at the weekend, I watched what was going on on Parliament square.

“It was crazy. No one stopped what, frankly, turned into a folk festival.

“Then someone took a spade and planted a tree in the middle of the square – I did not know people could do that – and someone started sowing crops, and someone climbed on top of St Margaret’s church, and no one did a thing.

“The new coalition Government should do something about what is happening on Parliament square.”

Prime Minister David Cameron vowed last year that if the Conservatives came to power, he would have the protestors removed, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson has promised a crackdown on the area.

A spokeswoman for City Hall told the Guardian: “Parliament Square is a world heritage site and top tourist attraction that is visited by thousands of people and broadcast around the world each day.

“The mayor respects the right to demonstrate; however, the scale and impact of the protest is now doing considerable damage to the square and preventing its peaceful use by other Londoners including those who may wish to have an authorised protest.

“As a result he has given GLA officers the authority to apply to the high court to begin legal proceedings for trespass.”

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One Response to ‘That is a dangerous roundabout’: Amess opposes peace camp in Parliament Square

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