British Police Arrest Scores At Far-Right Protest

British police arrested more than 160 people on Saturday as they sought to separate far-right protesters and anti-fascist demonstrators gathered in an immigrant area of east London. Scotland Yard had imposed conditions on a protest by the far-right English Defence League (EDL) to keep its members away from the centre of the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets. [...]

Before reading this syndicated article from Agence France Presse, it might be a good idea to learn a bit more about what exactly "breaching section 12 and section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986" means as it seems that the anti-racists who were arrested for that offence are now portrayed, from what I've seen in some of the tweets I've read tonight, as violent thugs by some of the EDL supporters.

"10.1 Sections 12 and 14 Public Order Act 1986

If you engage in regular protest you will inevitably encounter the police’s use of Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Section 12 Public Processions

This confers power on the senior officer to impose conditions on processions, which he reasonably believes are necessary to prevent serious public disorder, serious criminal damage or serious disruption to the life of the community. He may also impose such conditions if he believes that the purpose of the persons organising it is the intimidation of others with the view to compelling them not to do an act they have a right to do, or to do an act they have a right not to do.

If he reasonably believes any of the above, then he may impose conditions on persons taking part in the procession as are reasonably necessary to prevent the above, including conditions as to the route of the procession or prohibiting it from entering any public place specified in the directions.

Anyone who knowingly fails to comply with a condition is guilty of an offence.

Section 14 - Public Assemblies

As with Section 12, the senior officer may impose conditions on public assemblies, which he considers are reasonably necessary to prevent serious public disorder etc. But unlike Section 12, the conditions he may reasonably impose are in this case limited to specifying:

a) the numbers of people who may take part,

b) the location of the assembly, and

c) its maximum duration.

On most big animal rights demos these days there is a Section 14 notice in place, which gives the location where the assembly may and may not take place, and the time at which it must finish. It does not usually specify the number of people who may take part.

An assembly is defined by Section 16 of the Act as consisting of two people or more.Anyone who knowingly fails to comply with a condition is guilty of an offence."

This excerpt is from FreeBeagles.com, but there are much more info available on the site itself, so do feel free to visit it when you have a few minutes.