Post AztfBiSLudbXoUilU0 by jbenjamint@mastodon.scot
(DIR) More posts by jbenjamint@mastodon.scot
(DIR) Post #AztfBgrnp2m2sqc3sG by ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us
2025-11-04T06:49:17Z
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Hmmm... here's a Q:Is the likely new law that will criminalise harassment of MPs & other holders of public offices outside their homes, a fair protection from harassment... or, is it yet more constraint on the right to protest?Much will depend on your reading of past protests & their impact on politicians lives... and how you might assess police over-reach in other laws which started from 'reasonable concerns', but then have been widened in use?#protest #politics https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/03/activists-could-be-jailed-for-six-months-for-protesting-outside-mps-homes
(DIR) Post #AztfBiSLudbXoUilU0 by jbenjamint@mastodon.scot
2025-11-04T08:14:26Z
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@ChrisMayLA6 you can't expect people to work without protection, or even hope that they'll enter politics at all - especially when one of the other terms of the job is really low pay (talking about councillors here).Part of the reason I quit after seven years as a Highland councillor was the stalking and violent threats I was subject to. The police were great, but all they can do is wait for a crime to be committed.
(DIR) Post #AztfBjatgM29LHj6RM by ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us
2025-11-04T08:26:29Z
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@jbenjamint yes, I agree; as I said, that's clearly one side of it... but we do have plenty of examples of such protest-inhibiting law being used beyond it original intent...
(DIR) Post #AztfBkol8IiT8ZDgga by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2025-11-04T08:51:25Z
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@ChrisMayLA6> that's clearly one side of it... but we do have plenty of examples of such protest-inhibiting law being used beyond it original intentPerhaps what it comes down to is the intent of the lawmakers here. If the objective really is to prevent public officials being stalked and harassed, there should be general purpose laws that can give effective protection to *anyone* experiencing stalking and harassment. Special laws just for politicians seem designed for overreach.@jbenjamint
(DIR) Post #AztfEkwf7DYWOwLcpM by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2025-11-04T08:51:38Z
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@ChrisMayLA6> that's clearly one side of it... but we do have plenty of examples of such protest-inhibiting law being used beyond it original intentPerhaps what it comes down to is the intent of the lawmakers here. If the objective really is to prevent public officials being stalked and harassed, there should be general purpose laws that can give effective protection to *anyone* experiencing stalking and harassment. Special laws just for politicians seem designed for overreach.@jbenjamint
(DIR) Post #AztigH4A69LJhhfXPc by ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us
2025-11-04T09:30:08Z
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@strypey @jbenjamint yes, I think that's a good point
(DIR) Post #Azu4KpJoGYQGYZAN8K by jbenjamint@mastodon.scot
2025-11-04T13:32:49Z
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@strypey @ChrisMayLA6 Have sympathy with that but not convinced tougher rules on protesting outside any private residence are needed - and that would be a huge infringement on civil liberties for sure.
(DIR) Post #AzvQLRlxgefny9zkUS by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2025-11-05T05:14:32Z
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@jbenjamint> not convinced tougher rules on protesting outside any private residence are neededThat's part of my point. General purpose laws against stalking and harassment should be adequate to cover any situation where legitimate protest crosses a bright line into intimidation. I'm imagining white supremacists using "protest" as cover for targeting indigenous people's homes, or anti-trans extremists targeting trans people's.@ChrisMayLA6
(DIR) Post #AzvZTe9oQLvyHf8TK4 by jbenjamint@mastodon.scot
2025-11-05T06:56:54Z
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@strypey @ChrisMayLA6Would such general purpose laws then get rid of the 200m buffer zones around hospitals where, similar to this proposal, protest is a criminal offence?
(DIR) Post #Azwguu4mEwfGJLgV5k by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2025-11-05T19:55:00Z
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(1/2)@jbenjamint> Would such general purpose laws then get rid of the 200m buffer zones around hospitals whereIANAL and I'm not familiar with the specifics of why that law was created in your jurisdiction. But ...I'm guessing it's there to stop anti-abortion fanatics from harassing women who've made the heartbreaking choice to abort a new pregnancy? Yes, that's an example of what laws against stalking and harassment ought to cover.@ChrisMayLA6
(DIR) Post #AzwhfzC91fybnUa6Km by strypey@mastodon.nzoss.nz
2025-11-05T20:03:31Z
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(2/2)Whether such a law ought to include exclusion perimeters around homes, hospitals and other places people live the the non-public parts of our lives is arguable. But if it does, it ought to be worded such that it excludes stalking and harassment, not protest. With a reasonably high legal bar for classifying activity motivated by protest as such, balanced against human rights protections for freedom of expression.A law empowering a court order to exclude named stalkers seems reasonable.