A hardcore minority of ‘rogue motorcycle protesters’ could face legal action after resorting to ‘bullyboy’ tactics during a protest against a motorcycle parking bay charge scheme, according to Westminster City Council.
The local authority maintains that in recent weeks some protesters have harassed and used threatening behaviour towards its officers and councillors.
The council said in a statement that certain individuals have resorted to posting the personal phone number of a councillor and the home address of a civil servant on the ‘No to Bike Parking Fees’ forum. It added that a number of threats have also been made with regards to parking signs.
Cllr Danny Chalkley said: ‘We of course support people’s right to protest peacefully against council polices that they may not agree with. [But] in recent weeks a number of our staff have been subjected to nothing more than a hate campaign of harassment, intimidation and bullying. ‘If councillors and council officers continue to be targeted in this way we will report those responsible to the police and will not hesitate to pursue legal action to bring an end to such behaviour.’
The website has since closed its forum but is demanding a public apology for the implication it supports illegal activities.
Warren Djanogly, head of the campaign, said: ‘We as a committee are and always have been open and transparent in our discussions, and have always been against antisocial or illegal activity in relation to this issue.’
The local authority introduced a £1.50 daily charge to motorcyclists parking in central London as part of a package to create hundreds of new, designated parking spaces across the borough of Westminster (Surveyor, 27 July 2006).
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