Funny, but I had picked up the idea, especially over the past year or two, that the Left was rather fond of the concept of street protest. Every time I am in Central London I seem to run into hordes of placard-holders protesting against ‘austerity’, student tuition fees, animal rights, save the NHS, war in Syria, Universal Credit and what have you. While I might disagree it has never occurred to me to try to challenge the right of these people to take to streets to make their views known. I just hope they have a good day out.
But there are limits, it seems, to the Left’s enthusiasm for street protest. It only seems to extend to people with whose causes it agrees. Protest about something which is considered to be a conservative cause – abortion, for example – and the streets, it seems, are no place for making your voice heard.
This evening, Labour-controlled Ealing Council will debate a motion over whether to issue a Public Space Protection Order – a measure which replaced Asbos and which is supposed to be used for tackling anti-social behaviour – outside a Marie Stopes Clinic.
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