Dette er interessant på flere måter:
- Blairismens "moderniseringsprosess" i Storbritannia
- Ytringsfrihetens forvaltning overlates til et privat vaktselskap. (en
parallell kjent fra Norge: Mer og mer av det offentlige rom utgjøres av
kjøpesentere, hvor eierne begrenser muligheten til frie politiske og andre
ytringer).
- Angrepene på ytringsfriheten skjer ikke ved åpen politisk undertrykking,
men ved å erstatte den med underholdning: "Det er vel mye morsommere med et
pop-band enn noen tullinger som står og babler i vei om sine politiske
kjepphester på ei kasse, ikke sant?" Dette er oppskriften fra Huxley's BRAVE
NEW WORLD, og det er det Neil Postman advarte mot i sin glimrende AMUSING
OURSELVES TO DEATH.
Trond Andresen
**************************************************
>PRESS RELEASE AND APPEAL FOR SUPPORT
>
>www.SpeakersCorner.net
>Speakers Corner Movement
>42 Braganza Street
>London SE173RJ
>Tel 07900 120 718
>
>Dear friends,
>
>Over a period of years the situation at Speakers Corner has become worse
>and worse, the Royal Parks have effectively been handed over to a Private
>company called Cardingtons Plc.
>At first they were cautious because the Royal Parks Agency disliked the way
>the Government had forced them to commercialise Hyde Park (and all the
>other Royal Parks).
>Using the Princes Trust as a cover to pretend to be 'supporting Charitable
>causes' Cardingtons Plc.
>has moved up a gear and now are undermining a 129 year old tradition and
>legal right… to speak at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park. In 1998 they tried to
>replace Speakers Corner with a Merry-go-Round now they seek to replace
>Speakers Corner with huge pop concerts taking place one after another
>throughout the Summer period when Speakers Corner attracts hundreds of
>thousands of visitors from every corner of the world. It is Speakers
>Corner that is unique… pop concerts can be held anywhere in London. In fact
>the ONLY PLACE IN LONDON WHERE POP CONCERTS ARE
>TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE IS
>SPEAKERS CORNER ON A SUNDAY.
>
>Most of Speakers Corner is sealed off while these events are held, blasting
>deafening noise which drowns out any possibility of Speakers speaking.
>
>Is there nowhere else for these concerts? Like Kensington Gardens? The
>Dome? Docklands? Clapham Common? Finsbury Park?
>The only conclusion you can draw is that there are plenty of alternatives
>and more suitable places for pop concerts, and that it appears as if there
>is a determination to undermine Speakers Corner.
>
>Legal Challenge
>
>Apart from protest, we believe there may be grounds for Legal Action,
>Speakers Corner is in existence by Parliamentary Act, The Parks and Gardens
>Act 1872, but we cannot be said to have the right to free speech if we
>cannot be heard. The Secretary of State must revoke permission for these
>pop concerts that have nothing to do with Free Speech and everything to do
>with Cardington's Profits. The Royal Parks Agency must revoke the licence
>to print money given to Cardingtons which is a company with no particularly
>useful skills or experience and no sensitivity to the needs of the Royal
>Parks and their users. How did the Agency select Cardingtons in the first
>place? Was the contract put out to tender?
>
>It is time to act to protect free Speech, in dictatorial Singapore last
>year a Speakers Corner was established, yet at Speakers Corner London the
>oldest free speech platform in the world the right to speak is being taken
>away.
>
>Only three years ago the former Home Secretary called for Speakers' Corners
>to be set up nationwide. After failing to artificially create such popular
>forums, through the bureaucratic proceedures of the Association of Town
>Centre Managers, the Government is standing by while Private Enterprise is
>given free reign to destroy Speakers Corner and the pleasures of Hyde Park.
>
>We will not let them get away with it!
>
>Protest Now,
>
>Contact your Local and National Press
>
>Write to your Member of Parliament
>
>Send protest letters to:
>
>Blairt@parliament.uk Tony Blair
>Blunkettd@parliament.uk David Blunkett Home Secretary
>Portillom@parliament.uk Local MP Hyde Park
>mayor@london.gov.uk Ken Livingstone
>simon@cardington.co.uk Simon Petherick Director of Cardingtons Plc
>
>cc.to heiko@easynet.co.uk, gvidiot@hotmail.com (Speakers Corner Movement)
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