Brian Haw peace camp campaign placards including the 'ZIP IT' or 'zipped' iconic sign (unknown artist), opposite the House of Commons. Parliament Square, Westminster, London, UK, 10th April 2006
Placards can be remarkably well designed and pack a punch. This is one amongst Brian Haw's peace camp right opposite UK Parliament in 2006, before free speech was curtailed in this area. This sign and indeed most of the other displays and messages are regarded as so dangerous to national security, that 50 police officers removed them in a 2.25am stealth raid on the 23rd of May 06, under Tony Blair Government's, Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. The controversial SOCPA restricts the right to demonstrate within an exclusion zone of up to one kilometre from any point in Parliament Square with out police permission, an area covering key government institutions, protecting them from spontaneous public criticism. This could almost be the poster for that eventuality.
Date: 10/04/2006
Location: Parliament Square, London, UK
Photographer: Richard Keith Wolff
