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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Parliament lawyers tell judge IndyCamp should not be permanent | Parliament lawyers tell judge IndyCamp should not be permanent |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Protesters camped outside the Scottish Parliament do not need to be there permanently, a judge has been told. | Protesters camped outside the Scottish Parliament do not need to be there permanently, a judge has been told. |
| Lawyers for Holyrood's corporate body argued there were alternative ways to protest. | Lawyers for Holyrood's corporate body argued there were alternative ways to protest. |
| Lord Turnbull is being asked to decide whether evicting the IndyCamp group is a "proportionate" response, with regard to their human rights. | Lord Turnbull is being asked to decide whether evicting the IndyCamp group is a "proportionate" response, with regard to their human rights. |
| IndyCamp was set up in November 2015 with the aim of continuing until Scottish independence. | IndyCamp was set up in November 2015 with the aim of continuing until Scottish independence. |
| In his address to the Court of Session on Wednesday, Gerry Moynihan QC - who is acting on behalf of the parliament - said there was a distinction between restricting freedom of expression and restricting the precise manner of expression. | In his address to the Court of Session on Wednesday, Gerry Moynihan QC - who is acting on behalf of the parliament - said there was a distinction between restricting freedom of expression and restricting the precise manner of expression. |
| He added that there were plenty of ways for the campers to make their point and protest "without a permanent encampment". | He added that there were plenty of ways for the campers to make their point and protest "without a permanent encampment". |
| Mr Moynihan presented pictures to the court showing damage to grass caused by the campers' parked vehicles. | |
| He said: "There is concern that this is becoming a public car park." | |
| The court was also read a statement from the Scottish Parliament's chief executive Sir Paul Grice who said that IndyCamp had acted as a "magnet" with a variety of groups asking if they could camp. Such requests have all been refused. | |
| Sir Paul's affidavit said that the parliament must be representative of all the people, and give equality of access for all and the camp was "completely at odds" with that. | |
| Case not adjourned | Case not adjourned |
| Earlier, Lord Turnbull had dismissed a bid by the IndyCampers to adjourn the case. | Earlier, Lord Turnbull had dismissed a bid by the IndyCampers to adjourn the case. |
| They had been hoping to secure legal aid in order to pay for their court fight. | They had been hoping to secure legal aid in order to pay for their court fight. |
| The corporate body of the Scottish Parliament argued that the group was taking up space which could be used by others. It also suggested that it is endangering the political neutrality of the parliamentary estate. | The corporate body of the Scottish Parliament argued that the group was taking up space which could be used by others. It also suggested that it is endangering the political neutrality of the parliamentary estate. |
| A series of legal debates has seen the campers put forward defences based on the Declaration of Arbroath, the Treaty of Union and the rights of indigenous peoples. | A series of legal debates has seen the campers put forward defences based on the Declaration of Arbroath, the Treaty of Union and the rights of indigenous peoples. |
| At the last hearing, one respondent said the camp was a "spiritual mission" authorised by the returned "Jesus Christ the Second", and said they would like to call the Queen as a witness. | At the last hearing, one respondent said the camp was a "spiritual mission" authorised by the returned "Jesus Christ the Second", and said they would like to call the Queen as a witness. |