Behzti protestor loses appeal
Pritpal Singh, who was arrested after failing to leave a protest at the Birmingham theatre staging the play Behzti has lost an appeal against a ruling that the actions of the police were lawful, the BBC reports.
Lady Justice Hallet said that Mr Singh’s argument gave “scant regard” to the rights of the people who wrote and staged the play, as well as those who saw it, saying:
They too had the right to freedom of expression, just as the adults and children who were at or near the theatre that day had the right to go about their business without being subjected to scenes which were unnecessarily frightening, intimidating and distressing.
The protests eventually led the theatre to cancel the run of the play, which depicts scenes of rape and violence in a Sikh temple, due to health and safety concerns.
