Baroness Jenny Jones, deputy chair of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee, was briefly arrested this morning for obstructing the arrest of a protestor at a Parliament Square demonstration.
Jenny Jones goes down for defending the right to protest !!!!!! #occupydemocracy pic.twitter.com/jzSaG55xsL
— Occupy London (@OccupyLondon) October 21, 2014
Jones visited the demo after receiving complaints about from protesters about heavy-handed police tactics.
She told LBC radio that she’d been arrested after placing her arms around a man who was being arrested by officers.
Officers de-arrested her a few minutes later but Jones has been advised she may still face charges for obstructing them.
Later Jones commented: “The police have a duty to facilitate peaceful protest in this country which people have a legal right to do, but that appears to end as soon as you come within shouting distance of the Westminster village.
“The people who run this country should not be able to tuck demonstrators away out of sight. Parliament needs to listen and people should have the right to get their voices heard.”
In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “At approximately 11am today, Tuesday 21 October a 64 year old woman was arrested in Parliament Square for obstructing police. She was de-arrested after giving details suitable for a summons.
“Where the name and address of an individual is known we are able to proceed by way of a summons.
“The evidence in this case will be considered and a decision made whether to proceed with a prosecution.”
