Cameron 'will ban parliament demo'
Monday, 20 July 2009 12:00 AM
By Ian Dunt
A Conservative government would remove the anti-war camp set up outside parliament, Tory leader David Cameron has confirmed.
Brian Haw has camped in Parliament Square for eight years now in protest at Britain's foreign policy. He has survived numerous legal attempts to remove him.
But the Tory leader said enough is enough.
"I am all in favour of free speech and the right to demonstrate and the right to protest," he told Sky News.
"But I think there are moments when our Parliament Square does look like a pretty poor place, with shanty town tents and the rest of it.
"I am all for demonstrations, but my argument is 'enough is enough'."
A government attempt to remove Mr Haw succeeded in forcing many of his fellow demonstrators to leave. However, Mr Haw remained after it became clear the legislation was not retrospective and so could not apply to people who had begun their protest before the law was passed.
A separate attempt by Westminster City council to remove him on the basis of it becoming an illegal campsite also failed.
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