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Spring 20 Spring 20 Contents Director’S Letter SPRING 20 SPRING 20 CONTENTS DIRECTOR’S LETTER 3 DIRECTOR’S LETTER 4-5 MARTHA SPURRIER Director of Liberty NEWS IN BRIEF 6-8 We’re living through an freedom during a national extensive powers of detention COVER FEATURE: unprecedented global health emergency, Liberty is keeping and surveillance that are likely THE CRIMINALISATION OF TRESPASS crisis and the world is watch to make sure the to outlive the pandemic will changing before our eyes. Government doesn’t seize get us nowhere. Now is the 9 unnecessary power or resist time for a nurturing state, not PARLIAMENT WATCH I’m writing this from my vital scrutiny. Governments all an authoritarian one. kitchen table having shut down over the world are resorting 10-11 Liberty’s offices on 16 March. to intrusive surveillance and And we all have our part to FEATURE: But although we’re scattered punitive criminalisation to play – no doubt each and NEW CASE LAUNCHED AGAINST MI5 across the country, we’re beat the pandemic. This is not every Liberty member is working harder than ever the answer. finding creative and kind ways 12-13 to demand a human rights to support friends, family, FOI REQUESTS: A USER’S GUIDE response to the pandemic. We are demanding the UK neighbours and communities. Government uses its power As Eleanor Roosevelt once 14 Liberty was founded in 1934 to build resilience, protect said, human rights begin in MOD APOLOGISES AND RETURNS MEDALS TO and our work has continued communities and make sure small places, close to home. BISEXUAL NAVY VETERAN through peace, war, recession the most vulnerable people and upheaval. Today is no can access support. We We wish you and your loved 15 different – we will keep need concrete protections ones good luck and good GOODBYE FROM LIBERTY’S EMMA NORTON fighting for everyone’s rights for undocumented migrants, health in these unsettling and holding power to account. prisoners, immigration times. Thank you, as ever, for 16 detainees and homeless your vital support. LIBERTY MOMENT: ON THE ROAD In times of crisis human people, and we need an rights are crucially important. approach supported by While legitimate steps may science, not ideology. be taken to put limits on our Emergency legislation with Printed on 100% recycled paper 2 3 SPRING 20 NEWS UNCOVERED: SEEKING GOVERNMENT ADVICE ON PREVENT RUSHES STRATEGY MAY TRIGGER THROUGH NEW EMERGENCY DAVID MULCAHY COUNTER-TERROR IN BRIEF Communications Officer TERROR POWERS INQUIRIES The Government rushed new measurements of your face – including our social media The Government’s counter- environmental and animal legislation through Parliament MET ROLL-OUT to make a map – more like a accounts. extremism strategy is in rights organisations alongside in February which blocks fingerprint than a photograph. complete disarray. banned far-right groups. the early release of people OF FACIAL This is a shocking violation of And the tech is particularly convicted of terrorism your privacy rights. bad news if you’re a woman The “Prevent strategy” aims But the effects of the offences. RECOGNITION or a person of colour to identify people at risk of Prevent duty are not felt TECHNOLOGY The facial map is then because you’re more likely committing terrorist acts and evenly in society. It embeds The move was a cynical, ill- compared to images on a to be misidentified by it and intervene. It obliges public discrimination in public thought-out attempt to look watchlist. These can be of stopped, questioned and bodies – including schools, services and Muslims and tough on terror while actually The UK’s largest police force any of us, whether we’re searched by police. nurseries, universities, social people of colour have been leaving us no safer. is rolling out oppressive suspected of crime or not, services and healthcare targeted for more than a facial recognition surveillance and sourced from anywhere South Wales Police is also providers – to monitor and decade. The Government updated the technology on London’s using facial recognition in report people suspected list of terror offences in 2019 streets. More will follow public to scan thousands of of being vulnerable to And in February, we obtained so that it includes clicking just unless we stop it now. people whenever it sees fit. extremism. a document showing that once on online content deemed We’re heading back to court simply asking for advice likely to be useful to a terrorist, The Metropolitan Police’s with Ed Bridges in our case But Prevent’s definition of triggers counter-terror and travelling overseas to decision to use the tech against the Welsh force in extremism is so wide that inquiries. So when teachers, anywhere the Home Secretary is a surprising one. An June – we’ll be sure to keep if you are passionate about doctors and others are decides is unsavoury. So the independent review of the you updated. anything from climate change unsure and look for guidance, end of early release will also Met’s “trial” deployments said to fighting racism you risk they’re unknowingly handing apply to people convicted of the force failed to consider We can’t let facial recognition being labelled extremist and children to the police – a offences that shouldn’t be the human rights impact surveillance tech become your details being passed to clear sign that Prevent is criminalised in the first place. and using it was unlikely to normal. It isn’t normal. Almost the police. about monitoring people, pass the legal test of being forty thousand people have not protecting them from We need counter-terror “necessary in a democratic already signed the petition to This was made clear in radicalisation. measures that are evidence- society”. But here we are. ban its use in public places. You January when it was revealed based and designed with the can resist by joining them today. that a counter-terrorism The Prevent duty breeds freedom and safety of our Facial recognition cameras police document given to discrimination and destroys communities at their heart. All scan everyone within libertyhumanrights.org.uk/ health professionals and trusted relationships. It must knee-jerk laws like this do is range and use the unique facialrecpetition teachers included details of be scrapped. chip away at our civil liberties. 4 5 COVER FEATURE SPRING 20 PLANS TO CRIMINALISE TRESPASS THREATEN GYPSY AND TRAVELLER WAY OF LIFE sending a clear message that Travellers’ fundamental rights we won’t stand for these to respect for their private and plans. family lives and their right not to be discriminated against. GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS TO CRIMINALISE TRESPASS This is because if the new powers were brought in, Rather than tackling the Gypsies and Travellers would NADIA O’MARA startling inequality faced risk being criminalised just for Policy & Campaigns Officer by Gypsies and Travellers, living their traditional way of the Government has instead life. And the police could also The Government is considering drawn up harsh plans which move Gypsies and Travellers new police powers that will risk criminalising their into neighbouring boroughs, criminalise trespass and nomadic way of life. something which would “unauthorised encampments” inevitably disrupt access to – plans that mean Gypsies Last November, the schooling and medical care. If and Travellers could face Home Office announced a this wasn’t enough, the police imprisonment for their way consultation proposing that would also be given the power of life. unauthorised encampments to seize people’s caravans, Borough Council, the Court is a fundamental right and moving from place to place (camps which do not have which of course are their of Appeal said Gypsy and essential to our democracy – – is at the heart of their Liberty has teamed up formal permission) are dealt homes. Treating Gypsies and Traveller communities “have another reason unauthorised traditions and culture. These with Friends, Families and with by criminalising trespass Travellers like criminals just an enshrined freedom not to encampments should not be communities are protected as Travellers (FFT) to fight or strengthening police for living their lives also risks stay in one place but to move criminalised at all. an ethnic minority group by against these cruel proposals. powers of eviction. fostering racism towards them from one place to another.” the Human Rights Act and the We responded to the within the wider community. GYPSY, ROMA AND TRAVELLER Equality Act. Government’s consultation Liberty believes the The proposals are framed COMMUNITIES IN THE UK on these powers and created proposals are unnecessary, If these plans are adopted, so broadly that it could also Gypsy, Roma and Traveller an easy tool so our members disproportionate and would it’s likely a court would say impact on protest and other Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are widely and supporters could respond have a highly negative impact they are unlawful. In fact, freedoms. For instance, it communities are minority considered to be among too. We were blown away by on the lives of Gypsies and in a recent case brought by could capture road protests ethnic groups that have the most socially excluded the number of people who Travellers. They would also London Gypsies and Travellers and protest camps among contributed to British society in the UK and face replied to the Home Office, likely violate Gypsies’ and (LGT) against Bromley others. The right to protest for centuries. Nomadism – significant persecution and cont. 6 7 COVER FEATURE PARLIAMENT WATCH “Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are widely considered to be among the most socially Prerogative to the judiciary with the EU, the Government and human rights. Details are has so far refused to commit excluded in the UK.” scarce, but here’s what we to membership of the think might be coming..
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