Anti-Riot Law Raises Penalties

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30200, 3 August 1963, Page 14

Anti-Riot Law Raises Penalties

(N.ZJ’.A.-Reuter— Copuright)

LONDON, July 31

The House of Commons last night passed a bill aimed at preventing disturbances in streets caused by anti-Semitic and other inflammable speeches.

The bill, which increased penalties for infringing the law, has already been passed by the House of Lords and now only awaits the formal Royal assent to become law.

It stems from riots in Trafalgar Square, London, last July which followed a “Hitler was right” speech by Colin Jordan, the leader of the Fascist-style National Socialist moveemnt in Britain. The riots had to be quelled by the police.

The Home Secretary, Mr Henry Brooke, has said that he is determined to stop the “antics of Fascists, Communists, the self-styled antinuclear Committee of 100 and other extremists.” He considers the British public is “sick and tired” of them.

His method of dealing with the situation is to increase the penalties for offences against the public peace. The maximum fine for of-

fences is raised from £5O to £5OO and the terms of imprisonment from three to 23 months.

Labour members of Parliament complained that it had the effect of inflicting the same penalties on a heckler as on a provocative speaker preaching racial hatred. A Labour member, Mr Michael Foot, said he thought British public life would be poorer if people at public meetings could not voice their disapproval without risking heavy penalties. The Government spokesman in the debate, Mr Christopher Woodhouse, said the law was not directed against the heckler or the man provoked to violence by the speaker. It was intended to be used only against those who went to a meeting to prevent the business being transacted. He did not believe it was difficult for the police to distinguish between the two.