Pretty disgraceful misuse of the coronavirus regs by the police at the anti-HS2 protest at Euston. Despite me telling an officer that I was a barrister there to investigate a potential instruction from a client, I was repeatedly threatened with a fine.
I was also told that unless I give my name and address, a card to “prove” I am a barrister and to disclose privileged communications from a potential client, I would be fined. In the end I was forced to show my profile on my chambers website and he let me go.
Whilst it is obviously chilling to threaten lawyers in this way, it fits with the Met Police’s use of the regs at this protest: to hassle and remove peaceful protesters whilst completely ignoring potential breaches of the regs by HS2’s bailiffs.
Such abuses of power ultimately undermine both the regs and the right to protest. There is also a basic unfairness that destruction of nature is A-ok, but the police are using the regs to make peaceful protest against the destruction of nature illegal.
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