Police and Westminister council attempt night-time clearance of protest camp opposite Houses of Parliament
The decade-long ambition of police and local officials to clear peace protesters from the area opposite the Houses of Parliament has remained unrealised, with an expanse of tents, placards and other structures still resolutely in place despite a night-time clearance operation.
Metropolitan police officers arrived in Parliament Square at around 7.30pm on Monday with instructions to remove all tents and sleeping equipment under the powers of the new Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, which aims to prevent protest encampments in the area. However, one activist, Maria Gallastegiu from the Peace Strike group, won a high court injunction a few hours beforehand, obliging officers to leave her camp in place until a new court hearing, due to take place in March.
The move meant that, while police removed at least eight tents and about a dozen people, the scene on Tuesday morning looked much as it has done since the square's original campaigner, Brian Haw, set up his tent in 2001. The pavement across the road from parliament still featured four tents, a large wooden "peace box" and a range of large, semi-permanent placards calling for the end of the war in Afghanistan and other overseas military ventures.
MPs and the local council, Westminster, have attempted a variety of legal measures over the years to try to evict Haw, who died last year, and his successors. The "democracy village" camp on the grass of the square was evicted last year after the Greater London Authority, which is responsible for the space, won a high court order. However, some protesters simply moved their tents on to the adjoining pavement, which is owned by Westminster council.
Gallastegiu won her injunction after lawyers for Westminster council and the police agreed that she should be permitted to challenge sections of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act relating to protests around parliament.
Her solicitor, Paul Ridge from Bindmans, said he was "hugely concerned" that the council and police chose to remove the other protesters so soon after conceding this legal point.
"It seems very, very cynical. One the one hand they're in court, publicly agreeing with the force of these arguments and then, three hours later, they're evicting these protesters. The order only named Maria, but other protesters were in court and if they'd stood up and said, 'Can I be covered by it, too?' I'm sure the judge would have agreed."
At no point did either Westminster or the police tell the judge, Justice Beverley Lang, about the planned clearance operation, Ridge said. "One would expect candour from a public authority, particularly before a high court judge. And they've been quite underhand. It's astonishing."
Two people were arrested for breaching the new law during Monday's operation, police said. Westminster council officials helped officers by loading tents and other equipment into lorries.
The leader of Westminster council, which is planning its own anti-protest measure, a bylaw which would impose a £500 fine for failing to remove tents from the area, said the action was necessary.
"For too long local people and tourists have been unable to fully enjoy the square," Colin Barrow said. "This is a tragedy and the sooner this historic site can be enjoyed by the public the better."
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, told BBC London radio: "I think it was high time that a world heritage site was properly protected from what was basically vandalism, and it had become an eyesore. No matter how important the right to protest is, and everybody defends people's ability to legitimately make their point, you can't have the continual desecration of a world heritage site."
The square remains some way from being a tourist draw, with the grassed area still sealed off by mesh barriers. Even before the protests it was not among London's most tempting attractions, surrounded by a multi-lane roundabout, one of the city centre's busiest gyratories.
Gallastegiu, a former coach driver who will soon celebrate her sixth anniversary of camping at the square, said she hoped to remain in place. "We oppose foreign wars and I think most British people agree with us. That's why it's so important we stay. The government might say the troops will be home from Afghanistan soon, but who's to say they won't all be off to invade Iran first?" she said.
One policeman on duty outside parliament said he had grown well used to the view across the road. "When I heard on the news this morning they'd all been cleared away I couldn't believe it. But then I get to work and they're still here. I'd almost miss them if they did all go."