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News > United Kingdom

UK: City Council Injunction Bans Anti-LGBT Protests Near School

  • The council said the anti-LGBT lesson policy protests had become

    The council said the anti-LGBT lesson policy protests had become "too serious to tolerate." | Photo: Reuters file

Published 1 June 2019
Opinion

The injunction also extends to social media, prohibiting abusive comments about staff, specifically relating to the equalities program at the school.

U.K.'s Birmingham City Council has granted a temporary High Court injunction which effectively bans demonstrations against same-sex text being included in the curriculum, following several weeks of gathering outside Anderton Park Primary School and a lawsuit.

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The council said the situation had become "too serious to tolerate," because it was "increasing fears for the safety and well-being of the staff, children and parents of the school when they come back from their half-term break."

The ban covers the streets immediately surrounding the school and prevents protesters from printing or distributing leaflets, inviting others to protest and encouraging people to congregate at the entrance of the premises.

"I welcome the High Court's decision to put this injunction in place. It is not right to protest in front of schools - it is frightening to children and disrespectful to hard-working teachers," Education Secretary Damien Hinds said.

"This will allow children to return to school and parents to continue peaceful and constructive discussions with staff. I'm grateful for the support of Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police. My officials will continue to work alongside them to encourage dialogue between all parties."

The injunction also extends to social media, prohibiting abusive comments about staff, specifically relating to the equalities program at the school.

"I'm pleased that common sense has prevailed because children right across Birmingham should be free to attend school safely and without disruption," head of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, remarked. "All our schools must be safe spaces and we will not tolerate the ongoing intimidation of parents, hard-working school staff and local residents."

However, the court order does not block defendants in the suit filed to stop the implementation of the institution's same-sex lesson policy and, therefore, excludes protest leader Shakeel Asfar.

Non-defendants "shall not... organize, engage in, or encourage any other person to engage in any protest against the teaching of equalities at Anderton Park Primary School" and could face prison if found to have violated the ban.

"This interim injunction has been secured in time for the return to school on Monday (3 June) and now hopefully the pupils will be able to continue their education in peace for the remainder of the summer term" Ward noted.

"We'll continue to support the school and its staff and I would urge parents to take this opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with the school about any concerns they may have."

Afsar, on the other hand, has already begun organizing a counter-protest on his Facebook page and claims he is being silenced by the government.

After the talks between parents and the institution broke down, mediator and human rights lawyer Nazir Afzal, said “outside forces… people who are not parents of pupils at the school” are perpetuating lies to parents, who fear that their children are being taught explicit sex education.

“I have looked at the curriculum and studied the books used. There is nothing remotely sexual in the content. Then I realised something more was at work,” Afzal told BirminghamLive. “There’s talk of grooming, talk of wanting to ‘take our kids’. It is malicious.”

In March, headteacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson told PinkNews that she had received threats over LGBT+ lessons taking place in the school's curriculum.

“Equality is a real strength of ours, the children talk about it all the time. We want to usualize the language of equality,” Hewitt-Clarkson said and added “I am utterly passionate about all equality probably because I am a woman and, as an educator, I think if I don’t educate about these things then who will?”

The case is scheduled to be heard again on 10 June.

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