British police ban protest marches in parts of London

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British authorities said this month that protest marches are to be banned in six regions across London, after right-wing groups said they would take their demonstrations through a mostly Muslim neighborhood.

But the ban on marching doesn’t just apply to certain groups: it applies to everyone in those areas, leading many to believe that authorities are cracking down on public demonstration and free speech rights as a whole.

The announcement comes just over a month since Britain was gripped by the worst rioting in decades, which started in London then spread to other cities including Manchester and Birmingham after police allegedly killed a young man named Mark Duggan, a father of four, who they claimed was involved in a drug deal.

Amid the fracas, members of Parliament said they’d consider a plan to order the shutdown of social media and mobile phone messaging services, to prevent the public from organizing against police controls. Authorities have also tried to pressure members of the press to inform on the protesters by turning over unpublished footage of the riots.

This video is from Russia Today, broadcast Monday, Sept. 26, 2011.