Hicham Yezza

Sorry I'm late with this. I really can't believe that this politically-motivated shabby little Home Office stitch-up is still going on. Charge or release. Charge or release, god dammit. Remember, the comprehensive thrashing the government got over 42 days? You'd think they might get a grip, but no, no, no.

Here we have the sorry saga of the Home Office's attempts latest attempts to shamefacedly bundle an innocent man out of the country because it appears that their heavy-handed attempt to nick him for terrorism charges and bang him up for 6 days and nights without charging him (over downloading stuff that was a) relevant to his degree course b) available on Amazon) backfired on them badly, got into the media and made them look like authoritarian heartless swines last summer.

Clue: You want to win abstract-noun 'wars' about freedom, justice, democracy and liberty? You have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk you know. Sheesh.

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Silly SOCPA

An explanation, with humour, pictures and arguments of why the authoritarian and stupid SOCPA laws should be repealed, from Tim Ireland.

Anti-Christmas Carols 20th December

Click here for more information.

For the last few years we have seditiously gathered in Parliament Square in a wholly illegal demonstration of Christmas cheer, festive joy and religious tolerance, at unlawful carol services organised by blogging activist Tim Ireland over at Bloggerheads. It was so much fun that I wrote about it in my book. All sorts of people from across the political spectrum gathered, stamping their feet and shivering and passing hipflasks, in defiance of the totally stupid Serious Organised Crime and Police Act ( SOCPA) laws which make it unlawful to demonstrate outside the seat of our democracy without a special permit from the police which you have to get a week in advance ( see Mark Thomas' ace Lone Mass demonstrations which saw protesters dutifully trooping down to the police station to apply to demonstrate about a wide variety of causes, from Goth Pride to Send Forth the Gunboats to Down With this Sort of Thing. Pics here)

Anyway, this year we have a twist on proceedings and Tim is hosting an Anti Christmas demonstration. Tim explains ''...this year we will NOT be demonstrating in favour of Christmas without seeking police permission. We will instead be demonstrating against Christmas with police permission... just to be difficult.''

I was a bit sad when I heard about the new plans because I am a big fan of Christmas and I wanted to sing proper carols in defiance of the silly laws without permission, instead of seditious carols with permission. However, I did have a carol singing session the other week in Trafalgar Square with Henry North London and Taking Liberties film director Chris Atkins ( if you haven't got your Taking Liberties book or DVD yet, then they make excellent stocking fillers and can be bought here ( book) and here ( film) from Amazon). I shall do my best to make it, (although it clashes with the pole dancing students Christmas knees up).