I would like to protest against a company in London. Is it allowed to protest on the public pavement?

Question

I would like to hold a sign in my hands, stating "My Opinion: STOP Racism at (company name)." And i would like to give out flyers to people passing by, telling them why I think that this company is guilty of racism.
Do I need to have a permission for that? I know that I cannot stand on the company ground, but is it ok to simply stand on the public pavement near the company building?
What happens if the police comes? Can they remove the sign/ myself? I don't mind getting arrested, but I would like to know, if they are allowed to do so, since I am not causing nuisance to any member of the public.

Oh, by the way. I am in London/UK. Might be important to get an answer related to the local laws...

There is a hospital where some of my friends work and they are going to dismiss nurses. The manager of the ward where my friends work told them that everyone with a work pormit has to go, which means all foreigners have to leave. The working law says there have to be criterias like "last come- first gone" or certain skills, the dismissed persons don't have. The law also states that race cannot be a criteria.
Well, since work permit holders always belong to a different race, since they are not british, I would think this is a form of racism.
I mean, it would be ok to get the dismissal if you are working there for only a few months or if you haven't performed well. But to be dismissed, because you are not British citizen is not fair, is it?

Thanks a lot for all your answers and comments so far. Certainly I wille proceed with my idea.
However, to summarize what was said:
Is it not a bit schizophrenic, that one of our highest value is freedom of speech and opinion whereas at the same time it is possible to get sued, moved on, prosecuted as soon as someone opens his or her mouth?

Answer 1

Protests can be staged anywhere except when it disturbs the peace and order of the area.

Answer 2

The answer is as follows.

You should inform the local police station of your intention to protest. If the place you chose to protest is within the designated SOCPA zone around Parliament then you must notify the police (see www.met.police.uk) or you are breaking the law.

Once you have notified the police and gained the permission for your protest, (they must give you permission, but they can impose conditions on what you do and for how long), then you are free to protest.

Some of the more regular pitfalls protestors fall down at are;

1, They cause some form of obstruction on the pavement, or restriction of access to the building they are outside.

2, Whilst you may feel you are not being intimidating, others may feel you are, failure to respond in a reasonable way to this may result in your protest being cut short

3, Be prepared to back up your claims and have the evidence to do so, what you intend to say/display may be slanderous and allow the company to sue you.

4, In the UK it is not illegal to have a static protest (standing still).

Don't simply have one angle of attack, issues like this, which are obviously very important to you are probably not important to everyone else. Whilst standing there may be a gratifying from of protest it is unlikely to change much. It is worth considering how to get your point across most effectively. In this instance you could contact the Commision for Racial Equality, should people actually get sacked for these grounds you should also take the company to tribunal for unfair dismissal.

Answer 3

The European convention of human rights garuntees every person the right to peaceful protest in a public place.

However once a protest is in place the police have rhe right under section 14 of the public order act, to put conditions on the protest, to limit it's time, place and positioning.
If a person breaches those conditions can be arrested.

Furthermore if a person conducting a protest becomes in their behaviour threatening abusive insulting or intimidating to any person then they can also be arrested.

And if you get arrested nobody is going to listen to your protest, it makes more sense to operate effectively within the law.

And when you say you dont mind being arrested think about how that will effect the rest of your life, itll make getting a job harder, workig in positions of authority, and if you get a court conviction can recieve a big fine!

You are right in that your actions cannot be conducted on their premises, nor can it be designed to intefere with their business (like blocking accessways or doorways).

But if you stand in a public area, protesting in a calm and peacefull way, holding up a banner (which cannot be directly offensive s4 public order act) and handing out material, then they cannot interfere with your protest.

There are local bylaws, and the best place to ask is your local council or police station for byelaws

Answer 4

Freedom of speech is one of your human rights.

However, you may be committing several offences depending on how you conduct yourself during your protest.

As for not causing a nuisance to any member of the public, how can you say that before you start your protest? That would be down to the member of the public who deemed your conduct a nuisance. If said member of public made a complaint then you would be commiting the offence.

You could also technically committ an offence under section 5 of the public order act if the people you were protesting against made a complaint that you were causing them harassment alarm or distress and I would say by protesting against them you may well be doing just that

An offence of breach of the peace would only apply if there was an imminent threat of damage to property or threat of violence towards another person or property.

Obstruction of the highway may also be relevant as the pavement forms part of the highway.

To protest is your right but tread carefully. As for getting yourself arrested, why on earth would you want to do that?!?!?

Answer 5

Many years ago, in the US, I decided to picket a business that was mistreating teenaged workers, and cheating them out of some of their pay checks.

First. I called my congressman, and his secretary told me what I needed to know.

1. We were allowed to be on the public sidewalk, but not allowed to block customers from entering the business. Also were not allowed to utter profanities, nor other verbal things. Could not shout at people if they chose to go into the business.

2. We had to keep walking, or could have been arrested for loitering.

3. We had to keep feeding money into the parking meter, to assure that the business did not report that we were parked there too long.

4. We had to be careful to not drop a gum wrapper or any other thing, for fear we'd get arrested for littering.

5. I was advised to report it to the police that I intended to run a picket line at this business. When I did so, the police told me that I shouldn't. Tried to discourage me. But, I told them that I knew my rights, and I intended to exercize them. I have the right to picket. My congressman said so.

6. Because some of my picketers were minors, the police suggested that I call the high school, and inform the principal that I was forming a picket line with minors in it.

The principal suggested to me that I should not teach these children about violence. A picket line was not a good thing for children to learn..... I insisted that I was teaching these children their constitutional rights. This would help them in their political science classes.

So, we carried signs, stating how much the propriator was paying their teenaged help, and how many hours he was making them work. ... Even had one kid dressed up as Darth Vader. He carried a sign that read "Even I wouldn't do business here!"

On the days that we walked the picket line, no more than 1 or 2 people chose to go into that business. So much for the owner telling me "there's nothing you can do about it" when I had insisted he pay my daughter what he'd shortchanged her.... Eventually, the congressman sent a person from the Dept of Labor, and the books were audited. My kid got paid.

I don't know the laws in the UK, but I'd bet they're very similar. Common sense.

Answer 6

This answer is not Politically motivated but you may think so.

Members of Parliament are always notified of the happenings by Unions, particularly the Government Party.
If the expediency of Government is to take the action you describe is going on, you will have to approach the other main Opposition Party so that on Monday morning, a question will be raised in the House for an answer to be given by the Health Secretary.

Answer 7

Are you old enough to remember Esther Rantzen getting arrested in the 1970's for standing on Fulham High Street asking passers-by what they thought of some trivial topic? It was front-page news when it happened.

You need a permit from the police. Even people who collect money on the street need a permit, so be prepared to justify that you are not likely to cause a breach of the peace.

Answer 8

You would not be allowed to simply 'stand' there - why do you think protesters walk around - to circumvent the law.

Keep moving back and forth - don't cause an obstruction on the pavement or road.

Answer 9

Don't do it you will be arrested rasism is not tollerated in this country unless you of a ethnic minority but above all that this company has money so you will not win you know the sinorio my freind is freinds with a freind of a freind of such and such money people stick together as do most political bodys there are other ways to protest be careful in this country they have stole our right to free speech Dave

Answer 10

You can be arrested for this but you would more than likley get off if you are apologetic to the police for causing a nuisense and stop when asked you would get your position out to people and try to get papers involved