A News Letter online article explains that the Ulster People’s Forum is taking a leaf out of the Anonymous movement’s hacktivism playbook and are planning to flood the PSNI and subsequently the Parades Commission with spurious 11/1 forms.
The article quotes Ulster People’s Forum chair John Wilson:
The groups have decided to ask all Protestants to submit 11/1 forms if they are walking anywhere, even places such as the grocery store to their home, and ensure the PSNI are made aware of all groups of more than 2 people and they have sought notification from the parades commission.
It seems the move will force a speedy judicial review of the legislation which does not clearly define how many people or what constitutes a procession.
The catalyst for this prank is reported to be the suggestion that some of the flag protesters who have been arrested have been told by the PSNI that a procession is “two or more people on a road or footpath walking with a common purpose”.
It could all get terribly recursive if protesters go together in twos to hand in their 11/1 forms at police stations and need another four weeks prior to permit them to walk to the police station.
Perhaps people opposed to these spurious parades will apply (14 days in advance) with 11/3 forms to hold equally specious protests against specific shopping trips and marches to pick up the morning paper!
I wonder when the Parades Commission’s new IT system is due to go live …
Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic and political events and conferences. He delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; is a FactCheckNI director; a member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.