CURRENTLY making it way through the Westminster Parliament is the Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, otherwise known as the “spy bill”.
Now one Yes group, Yes Forth Valley, has sounded the alarm on what they see as a draconian law that might be used to curb the Yes movement.
READ MORE: Holyrood rejects Westminster bid to allow 'spy cops' to break law with impunity
They have written to Joanna Cherry MP to enlist her help, stating: “We see this, in the breadth and generality of its wording, as a positive threat not only to the right of peaceful protest but directly to any or all of the actions we might undertake to promote our cause.
“Anent its relevance to Scotland, we need to consider certain specific wording in relation to specific examples. The phrase ‘interests of national security’ could be used not only against the long-standing protest camp at Faslane, but also any future one-off protests against the hosting of Trident on our soil, or any attempts to prevent the transportation of nuclear weapons to and from Aldermaston – now regularly, for some reason, designated by the name of the village at its gates, Burghfield.
“The bill also covers actions ‘to prevent disorder’. How would that impact peaceful, indeed joyous, independence marches, or static and even silent protests?
“A third phrase could be the death knell of any campaign for independence, since ‘in the interests of the economy of the UK’ could be used to designate anything at all that promotes Scotland leaving the UK.”
A point to ponder?
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